Grounded
by pixeljam
Summary: Pit gets pushed off of Angel Land by Medusa and is stuck on Earth, where he has to pretend to be a normal teenager until his wings grow out and he can fly again. As he soon finds out, normal teenagers go to High School. Sounds cliche, right? Think again!
1. Wakeup call

**Grounded**

**This is my first fanfic, so cut me some slack, okay? I totally love Kid Icarus, but I have to give some of the credit to me little sister, who bugs me all the time to write more. And she also is the one who got me into Kid Icarus. So, kudos to you, sis! Oh, and please review!**

Pit slowly opened his eyes. He closed them quickly again as bright sunlight filtered into the room. He blinked, squinting, as he tried to adjust his eyes to the sudden light. With a sigh, he sat up, stretching his arms out with a small moan.

He looked around the white marble room from his perch above the ground. His bed was up in an alcove in the corner of the large room. Much of the furniture around the area were made of marble, colorful toss pillows were strewn around the room, making it look slightly more comfortable. A large sundial stood next to the window. Pit looked over to it, his young face suddenly very anxious.

"Crap, I'm late!" He yelped. He jumped out of bed, rushing to the long mirror and grabbing a toga off a hanger. He hurriedly flipped it on over his navy blue sleeveless tee and tight navy blue shorts that he had slept in and flicked his white scarf around his neck. He pulled on his thick armbands and sandal-boots. Grabbing his belt, he tightened it around him and slid his two golden and blue blades against it. As he rushed out the door, he just managed to remember to grab his laurel wreath and slide it on before taking off.

He bolted down the streets, the golden edging on the bottom of his toga glinting in the bright sunlight. He almost tripped every few steps on the cobblestone streets, littered with tiny stones that were easy to misstep on. Pit spread out his wings, hopping with every step higher and flapping his wings ever so slightly so they caught the wind. He floated gently but quickly to each next step. But it took more energy. By the time he had reached his destination, his breaths were coming in gasps.

He stopped in front of one of the marble homes. All the homes on all of the floating islands looked almost exactly the same so Pit only knew exactly which one he was looking for due to extreme memorization and experience.

Pit didn't even get a chance to knock. Before he could tap the wooden door, it opened, a tall angel floating out. His skin was dark and his hair the color of ebony. His eyes gleamed a sharp gold down at Pit. He wore a white toga, the edges done with tiny silver and gold threads and a beautiful silver laurel wreath was on his head. His huge wings glinted a blue black as he hovered off the ground.

The dark angel crossed his arms, a frown on his well formed face. "Do you know just how late you are?"

Pit winced. "Sorry, Nighthawk! I overslept."

"Again? Really? You're the head of Queen Palutena's bodyguards! You've been late too many times!"

"So…why are we talking? Let's go!"

The two took off down the streets towards the next island, Pit running and Nighthawk flying close to the ground next to him. Nighthawk gave a loud sigh as he looked Pit up and down. "Did you even try to comb your hair?" He scolded.

"Why comb it when it'll just get messed up again?"

Nighthawk sighed again. "We're going to meet the Queen. At least try to make yourself acceptable!"

Pit grinned. "I meet with the Queen every day! Isn't it enough that I'm even showing up at all?" He leaped over a narrow crevice between two islands with ease. One misstep would send the jumper plunging down to wherever the mortal world started.

"Can't you just fly with me?" Nighthawk asked, "We would go a whole lot faster."

Pit sighed. "You ask me this every week. Remember?"

Nighthawk grinned smugly. "Oh yeah, now I remember. Your wings are too small and you're too weak to fly long distances."

"That's not true!" Pit snapped, leaping over another crevice while Nighthawk glided smoothly over it, "When I found the Three Sacred Treasures, I had the Wings of Pegasus, and I could fly just fine! Queen Palutena just took them away until my training ended. She could only give me five minutes of flying time with my own wings, at least until they fully grow out."

"I still think you're just weak!" Nighthawk smiled.

"You wish!" Pit grinned back, "then you'd have to take over my—whoa!" Pit cried out as his feet slipped over the edge of the last island to the open sky. For one horrible second, Pit could feel himself falling without a way back up. He was just going to keep on dropping.

He suddenly felt a strong hand grip the back of his tunic and drag him back onto the island. "Idiot!" Nighthawk snapped, "You should be more careful! Your wings aren't big enough to catch the wind and fly out of a falling position like the rest of us!"

Pit shook himself off to keep the fright that had turned into intense shivers from showing. "You think I _planned_ that?"

Nighthawk let out and exasperated sigh. "Come on. We have to fly to the next island." He watched as angels randomly threw themselves off the Home Islands, eager to head to the Sky Temple. "Hey, Swift!" He called out to one of the male angels just taking off, "How's the wind today?"

The tall teenager floated gently on the wind, his shoulder-length brown hair flitting after him. "Perfect for floating! See you later!"

Pit didn't wait for Nighthawk to readdress him. He flapped his wings hard, feeling the powerful wind ruffle his flight feathers. And then, with a burst of courage, he jumped into the air. The wind immediately swept him up into its smooth arms and pushed him across the crevice. He flapped his wings hard, soaring to the other side. On a day with wind like this, he didn't have to worry about using up the time limit for his flight power; the wind took his speedily across the dangerous open space.

Nighthawk floated next to him, his large black wings stretched out at maximum wingspan, catching the wind. He looked so calm, his hair floating back behind him. He gave a loud sigh on content. "Now this is the life! Floating everywhere in complete freedom, no one to rely on, no one to ground you to reality…up here, it's all the same. Don't you agree, Pit?"

Pit flapped harder. "Maybe for you, but until my wings grow out fully, I'm more worried about falling than enjoying the view. For me, it's just another issue."

Nighthawk gave him a small smile. "You're missing out, Pit."

Pit returned the smile. "Maybe. We'll see when I grow."

The two landed smoothly and took off at the same pace they had started. They bolted through the streets, dust and stones flying behind them. "We're going to make it!" Pit gasped. "We're going to make it!"

* * *

><p>"And…we didn't."<p>

By the time the two arrived, the Queen had already taken roll call. She stood in front of a row of heavily armored soldiers, all looking straight ahead as though she were not standing there talking to them at all, as was protocol. She turned around at the sound of pounding heels against stone. Her long pine green hair swished behind her as she turned to look at the two. "Ah, General and Centurion. It is good of you to show up." Her smile was amused and calm, but then again, Pit had been late before.

Pit saluted her and immediately marched to his place in the line of soldiers. He pulled his two knives from his belt and fused them together, the two forming a long, curved, double ended sword, or, in Pit's case, a bow. He quickly strung it and swung his weapon over his shoulder.

The Queen had started talking about her protection. "Bodyguards will not need to be fully posted today. I will only need one for myself. The others will fan out around the city. There have been sightings of Medusa lately and I want us to be prepared if she visits, as she normally does." Palutena turned, "Pit, as General, you will be my protector over the next week." She turned back to the other soldiers. "Centurions, move out!"

The angels saluted and spread their large wings, taking off into the sky to the Home Islands and the larger Sky World Islands. The Queen turned sharply and walked away, the hem of her dress fluttering in the wind. Pit hurried after her, holding his bow on his shoulder so it would not slip off.

He followed her to the gardens. Palutena gently touched the flowers around her, a small smile forming on her lips with every petal. Each growing thing seemed to liven at her touch, opening their buds ever so slightly, colors brightening in the warm sunlight. Her calm expression was like water to the living plants, the green life drinking up her smooth strokes. When one flower was finished, she moved onto the next, giving it the equal amount of care she had given the one before.

"I do this everyday, you know."

Pit was startled from his flower watch. "What?"

Palutena turned and smiled at him. It was such a warm, tender smile, Pit felt his knees suddenly turn to gelatin. His chest constricted, making it hard to breathe. Concern filled his mind for himself. What was wrong with him? Was he suddenly sick?

"The flowers," she replied, "They like to see me, so I come almost every day, when time allows. They sometimes wish they were angels so they could see my face better."

Pit shook his head, trying to snap out of his strange symptoms that made him feel like flying. "What? They talk?"

Palutena's warm smile returned. "Come here."

Pit obediently walked over. Palutena took his hand, drawing him closer. She bent over him, brushing his hand against the petals of a golden rose, the plant responding to his touch by opening ever so slightly. But Pit could barely pay attention. He was too distracted by the feeling of Palutena's knee length hair falling in waves around him. Scents wreathed around him, his brain suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of jasmine and orchids.

"Can you hear it?" Palutena's young, melodious voice whispered.

Pit blinked out from his trance, turning his attention to the flower. He could gently feel vibrations running up his hands. "I can more feel it," he whispered back.

She drew away and Pit's heartbeat returned to its normal pace as she did so. "Good," she slowly walked to the edge of the garden, leaning against the long low-rising wall. Her smooth figure cut an elegant shape in the rising sun, "So, tell me what's bothering you."

"Huh? What?" Pit shook his head yet again to keep from staring. Palutena looked absolutely stunning in her slimming white dress and golden jewelry. Pit could feel his heart racing again. What was going on? He had never felt like this before. Did he have some illness that made his body work harder and made him feel warm all over?

Palutena's warm smile returned, her gaze of green warming Pit's chest, his stomach making butterflies. "Pit, you've been late for roll call for almost two straight weeks. As general, you should at least try to be on time on a regular basis. What's been keeping you up at night?"

Pit sighed, walking up next to her as she motioned. Your highness—."

Palutena raised a thin hand. "Pit, we've been over this. Palutena, no highness required."

Pit's cheeks flushed red. "Right, sorry."

"Perfectly acceptable, please continue. I'm sorry for interrupting you."

"T-t-t-that's fine," He bit his tongue hastily. When had he ever been this flustered? "Well…um…do you ever think about what's out there other than us?"

Palutena blinked. "How do you mean?"

Pit looked out from the wall to the sky around him. The blue seemed to go on forever. Below Angel Land was a thick layer of clouds which shone golden at all times of day. But the beauty cut off the angles from knowing what was underneath. Above were only sky and the sun, at night the stars and the moon. "You know…what's below the Cloud Barrier? Or if we fly high enough, if there is anything higher?"

A small smile crossed Palutena's face. "Is this what keeps you up at night?"

Pit flushed a bright red. "Yeah. I stay up late looking at the stars. I can't help it. I really want to know."

Palutena bent down so they were at eye level with one another. "Pit," she said warmly, "I think you have some good ideas, but I also want to warn you against going to far. Right now, until your wings grow out, your duty is here. Once," she stared out over the wall, to the clouds, and her eyes hardened, "once, an angel went past the Cloud Barrier and he never returned. I can't let you down there, especially with wings like yours."

Pit drew himself up so he at least seemed taller. "What's wrong with them!?"

Palutena smiled, her face lighting. "Nothing. But until they fully grow, you shouldn't try anything crazy or stupid. Understood?"

Pit nodded quickly. Palutena's words made all the sense in the world…but…his mind still wondered…

**I just love Palutena's connection with nature! That's the whole reason I made her wake up the flower. And, I have to admit, it just made me feel good writing it! Please comment on what you think of this! Thanks!**


	2. Deception

**The first two chapters were technically supposed to be one big chapter, but it seemed too long. Sorry if my summaries totally suck! they generally do. Crap, now I have to write the whole next chapter! Argh! Little sister, start bugging me until I do this! Anyways, thanks for reading my first fanfic!**

Nighthawk soared along the cobblestone streets, keeping dangerously close to the ground. One false flap of his dark wings could send him sprawling to the ground. But down closer to the ground, the drafts were less harsh and there were no fore winds. So though his position was dangerous, it was also the fastest way to move. And speed, today, was the key.

Pit's house was like everyone else's, a temple-shaped building carved from white marble. But Nighthawk knew that Pit's home was the third to the right past the intersection of Swallow and Kestrel. Farther down Kestrel, past Pit's home about a mile down, were where the fields and farm areas started. That was where the food in Angel Land came from.

Nighthawk flew up to Pit's door. He landed smoothly and pounded loudly on the door. "Pit! Pit, are you there? Answer me!" He listened closely. No sound came from inside the house. Nighthawk sighed in exasperation. He tried the door to find it unlocked. Slowly turning the brass doorknob, he walked in.

The room was dark. Curtains over the window shielded the room from the light of the rising sun. Nighthawk rushed over, pulling them open. Sunlight flooded into the room. Every corner lit up, all the marble shining. Nighthawk flapped to the bed, floating above the ground so he could look into the bunk bed. Pit slept peacefully, his breathing slow and contented. Nighthawk would have been happy for his friend if Pit wasn't in such trouble.

He roughly shook Pit's shoulder. "Hey, Pit, buddy, wake up! Pit! Come on! You're late!"

The only response Nighthawk attained was the slightest of movement and a deep sigh of relaxation. Nighthawk growled. "Come on, Pit! We're already super late!"

Another deep breath and more movement was all Nighthawk got.

Nighthawk was tired of waiting for his friend to wake up nicely. He turned around so his back faced Pit and flapped his wings hard. Nighthawk knew his wings were strong and the wind that came from them was even more so, so he wasn't surprised in the least when he heard a loud thunk come from the floor behind the bed.

Pit stood up, rubbing his head angrily. "What was that for?!"

Nighthawk whipped around. "Do you know just how late it is?!"

Pit stopped, his eyes widening. "No! I _couldn't _have overslept! I made sure to go to sleep on time last night!" He gaped in horror.

"You did! We are so late it's insane! Get dressed! You're already slow enough as it is. Palutena's going to be in a rage! Now hurry up!"

Nighthawk flew out of the room, waiting impatiently. As soon as Pit came out, hurriedly shoving his laurel on his head and tying his belt around his waist, Nighthawk took off down the street, flapping his wings as fast as he could. He hurriedly made apologies to the other angels he almost hit, but other than that, he focused mainly on his speed.

Pit appeared next to him, his legs almost in blurs as he sped along. "I can't believe this! I even went to bed on time last night!"

Nighthawk flapped harder. "Well, you seriously need to have, like, a rooster or some other type of bird that can tell time sound an alarm for you. Do you know just how ticked Palutena's going to be when we get there?!"

Pit smiled. "She'll be fine. We've been late before, and besides, she's pretty cool about stuff like this."

"Where have you been?!"

Palutena's expression stopped Pit in his tracks. Her face was twisted in anger, her normally peaceful and smooth face looking as though it had aged with sharp lines. Her green eyes were ablaze with fury. Her mouth was screwed into a snarl, baring all of her teeth like an underworld wolf.

Pit wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do. So he took the most natural path possible: absolute innocence.

He stepped forwards timidly, scuffling his feet in the grass. "Um…hi! Sorry we're late—."

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Palutena snapped before he had finished, "Get into line!"

Pit didn't hesitate and immediately threw himself to the front of the line. He took careful care to straighten his toga and even combed down his hair with his fingers. Nothing was going to make Palutena angry again, at least not from him.

Pit watched as Palutena inspected each of the soldiers closely. She, upon finding a single minute detail that was out of place, would suddenly fly into another rage and insult the angel with extremely harsh words. Something was wrong with Palutena, Pit could _easily_ tell. She never acted this angry or irritated. She now seemed to pick up on all the bad things about each of the angels, not the good things that she normally did.

When she came to Pit, she looked him up and down with shrewd eyes and thin, pinched lips. She blinked down at him coldly, her green eyes darker than ever. Finally, after a long look, she turned to the other angels. "The general is the only one that has managed to pass inspection, so it will be he that guards me today. Everyone else spread out." And, without another word, she span around and stalked off. Pit watched as the other angels flew off, looking absolutely confused and worried. Then he turned around and ran after Palutena.

He followed her out to the gardens, where he watched in amazement as she walked straight past the flowers, dark and not in full bloom. She didn't even give them a second glance. The flowers seemed to brighten for a split second with an invisible light when Palutena passed, but immediately darkened as her long hair flickered past them.

Sympathy for the poor delicate plants flowed into Pit. He walked slowly into the garden and gently touched one of the flowers. The flower perked up slightly and vibrated weakly to Pit's touch. Pit stroked the fragile petals before moving on to another desperate flower.

"Pit!" Palutena's voice snapped. Pit shot up from his tenth flower and hurried after the changed goddess. He gazed sadly at the still drooping plants, but knew if he didn't follow Palutena, her bad mood could cause trouble not only for herself, but for Angel Land as well.

Palutena stood at the wall she and Pit had spoken at the day before. But today she did not look nearly as graceful as she had before: she had almost a sharp edge to her body that made her exceptionally beautiful but gave her a rather harsh look. Her skin did not glow with the aura she normally had around her. What had she done to herself to make her look like this?

"Palutena?" Pit asked timidly, slowly coming closer to the strange-acting queen.

"General," she whipped back, "You will call me 'your highness' or 'your grace'. I deserve the proper respect, do I not?"

Pit was taken aback, seeing as she had told him only the day before _not_ to call her that. Was there something that had changed her mind? Pit shook his head and hardened his body before continuing.

"Is there something wrong, your highness? You do not seem yourself today."

Palutena's eyes flashed for a moment with something Pit could only identify as the look in a bird's eyes when it has been caught eating crops in an angel's land: fear, terror, and the insane desire to be rid of whatever was causing him to not get the food he wanted. Palutena looked ready to either kill Pit in that split second or throw him into the temple.

But less than a second later, the spark was gone and Palutena smiled. With that one smile, she almost looked back to normal. "I'm—."

"PIT!"

Pit whirled around as soon as the scream hit his ears. In the entrance to the Goddess's Temple stood Palutena. She stared at Pit with eyes that gleamed with only one emotion: fear. It flicked throughout her body, the aura of power and health that usually surrounded her almost completely sparked out. The way she stood implied injuries, many of them. Her feet turned in, as though her knees needed more support. Her normally flawless face was smudged with soot and grime. Her silky light green hair was tangled.

She struggled wildly against something, but could not move. Pit then realized that her hands were behind her back and being held. A dark shape slid out from behind her with oily sleekness. Pit bared his teeth. He recognized that face.

It was his own.

A smirk broke onto the face of the angel by Palutena. The red eyes shone with malice and, yet, with a kind of evil joy. His jet black hair fluttered in an unfelt wind, his golden laurel wreath shimmering in the light. "Nice to see you again, pal!" His voice was even like oil, smooth and slick, yet dripped with sarcasm and scorn.

"Can't say the same about you, I'm afraid!" Pit snapped back. He knew this guy, and hated him more with every passing second. "Drop Palutena NOW!" He roared, feeling his chest rise in anger.

Dark Pit threw his head back and laughed; a deep unnatural laugh that spoke of long hours in a place of echoes. It sounded like the earth, the underground, the Underworld. Every hair on Pit's head stuck straight up. The sound sent chills up his spine, made his mind go dead in fear. No one, Pit decided, should be able to make a sound like that, not even his rival.

"You want me to let her go?" He laughed again. "Fine." He slowly let go of Palutena's arms, but before she could move, he threw up one arm. He leaped up and slammed his elbow into the base of Palutena's neck. Palutena stopped, her eyes widening. Her mouth opened, a horrid choking sound came quietly from her mouth, as though it were impossible for her to breathe in. Her knees collapsed underneath her and she fell to the cold marble floor, where she lay, unmoving.

Now Pit was the one who felt as though he could not breathe. His mind had gone numb. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment than the woman on the ground, completely out. He watched, unable to move out of the shock he was still in, as Dark Pit reached down and gently plucked the beautiful golden crown from Palutena's head. He gazed at it with a mocking expression, and even polished it with the back of his hand, after breathing on it slightly.

Rage filled Pit's chest. "Get your filthy, stinking breath off of the goddess's crown!" Pit whipped out his bow with lightning speed and quickly drew back the string. An arrow of light appeared in the exact position a normal arrow would if he had strung it himself and Pit aimed it directly at Dark Pit's chest. Without a second though, he released the arrow, screaming a wordless sound of anger as the arrow flew.

Dark Pit held up his hand directly in front of the arrow. The light arrow stopped in front of his hand, disintegrating like a sand sculpture introduced to water. He laughed his deep laugh again. "Nice try, Pit," he said mockingly, "But you'll have to do more to harm me." He gently nudged Palutena's shoulder. "And relax. She's not dead." He held the crown in his hands and let it rise above his palms. "But this will have to change."

The crown floated above his outstretched palms. The beautiful gold bubbled dangerously. It glowed with bright light as it molded itself into a new form. Pit watched it with wide eyes. He dared not shoot another arrow, even with Dark Pit distracted. His hands were shaking from anger that he knew if he wasn't careful, he could possibly hit Palutena. And while unconscious, Pit knew that she did not have the protection abilities that Dark Pit did.

The crown's glow died and the object landed in Dark Pit's hands. He held it up, inspecting it closely. The beautiful gold was gone, as was the strawberry red gem that once laid, attached to the crown, on Palutena's brow. The new crown resembled molten lava, with a black ring that looked as though glass had been melted down improperly. In the small holes and cracks blazing red, orange, and yellow streaks glowed. Where the gem had once been was now the roundest piece of obsidian Pit had ever seen. It too glowed from deep inside with the colors of flames. The crown had changed from being completely circular to looking more like a tiara as well, with the back open. It was made to slide on and off the brow line, not to be worn on the top of the head.

Dark Pit smiled. It was an eerie smile that made his pale skin seem to glow with a strange aura. "Your crown is ready, my Queen."

During this conflict, the woman Pit had been following around the whole day watched calmly, her strange eyes following Pit and Dark Pit during their conflict. Pit turned around and watched as the woman stood up and walked over to Dark Pit and took the crown gently from his palm. Dark Pit closed his eyes and bowed slightly.

"Just who do you think you are?!" Pit screamed, drawing back his bowstring for the second time.

The woman's poisonous smile made Pit feel sick to his stomach. Her green eyes flashed from beauty to a terrifying yellow. The light pupils changed to cat slits and the irises shrunk so the white of the eyes dominated the area. Her voice came out in a rasping growling tone. "You are quite the General, Pit! You don't even notice an enemy in your midst!"

She slid the crown on. The fire that at one point seemed dormant inside the obsidian gem suddenly flared to life. And the woman changed.

Her body grew taller, the healthy skin over her body paling from months without sunlight. Her clothes changed shape as well, the pure white and gold of the fabric morphing to black at the chest and flowing like blood until it hit dark red at the skirt's hem. Gold jewelry strung gaudily around her body. Her face's once smooth jaw became hard. Over her left eye, which was still white and yellow, was a dark tattoo of snakes. And to complete her transformation, the beautiful long hair the color of paling pine, looked as though it had been suddenly cut short. The pieces clumped together and changed from green to dark colors of purple and blue. The clumps hardened and scaled. Slits cut into each long, smooth trunk, where immediately they opened and long white fangs erupted from. The snakes that now littered the woman's head hissed in unease as they stretched themselves out.

Pit released the arrow he had been holding back without a thought. The longer he held back his arrows, the more power they had. And with this long transformation, his arrow had gained in immense amount of energy. The arrow streaked with lightning speed towards the now fully grown Medusa.

But even in her brand new form, she was still as fast as a swallow. She snapped her fingers, her huge staff appearing in her hand. She slashed it fiercely through the air and from the tip of the staff spewed a great breeze. Pit felt himself suddenly blasted back. He flipped over himself and slammed back into the paved stone ground of the garden. The light arrow, which should not have been affected by the wind, was blown in a completely different direction and hit one of the large fruit trees in the garden. Leaves flew in every direction and rained down on the party of people.

Pit screamed in fury. He whipped around his bow like a baton and ran at Medusa. The faster he span the bow, the warmer the tip became until it literally glowed red from the heat. Medusa threw up her staff, catching the tip of the bow and holding it in place. She sneered at Pit. "You think you're so noble, don't you?"

She shoved her staff, throwing Pit to the ground. She threw another wind at him and he flew backwards, slamming his head on the ground with a groan. Medusa walked over almost leisurely, placing one shoe on his chest. "They tell me you can't fly," she whispered harshly, her voice sounding as though she hadn't had a drink of water in years. "But I don't know if I believe them. Why would the goddess make the one angel that cannot fly the General of her army?"

Pit glared back up at Medusa and struggled to move. But her foot was planted firmly on his chest and could not be moved.

Medusa had barely stepped off him when she hit him with another blast of air. Pit slammed into the low garden wall. He moaned in agony as his skull slammed into the bricks. Medusa walked up to him. "Why don't we see, then? See if the goddess was smart enough for her own good," Medusa drew close, "or see if she picked the wrong angel."

Medusa must have been extremely strong, for she grabbed Pit by his scarf and held him over the edge of the island, over the wall and over open air. Pit dared not struggle. Any movement could cause him to fall. And out of a falling position, he could not fly.

"How about we do an experiment, you and I?" Medusa hissed, the snakes on her head doing the same. Their tiny malicious eyes gleamed and their hisses cried for blood. But Medusa still held the angel. "My hypothesis is that when I drop you, you will spread out your tiny wings and try to fly. And," her voice went deathly quiet, "like a new hatchling, you will fall. And nothing will be able to stop you as you fall past the clouds and are crushed." Her eyes gleamed. "Say goodbye to your goddess, Pit of the Centurion's Guard!" And with that, she released her fingers from Pit's scarf. Pit's eyes grew wide as he realized nothing was going to hold him back from falling. His heart felt as though it were being shocked with a bolt of lightning and his mind went completely dead. And as he fell, the last thing he saw of Angel Land was Palutena's unmoving body and, in his speeding heart, the only thing he could feel was the growing knowledge that he had failed his duty.

**(*sniff, sniff*) okay, so I almost cried when I wrote about him failing! POOR PIT! (*sigh*) Anyways, please review, so I know if I should continue writing this! I really appreciate feedback! I'll write as fast as I can, but I've been sick for the past week, so writing has been hard. I have a few ideas though about what happens next. :)**


	3. Jenny

**Hey, here's the next chapter! Thank you to the two people who reviewed so far! I can't wait to write the next section. **

**By the way, in case anyone didn't catch this already, the only characters I do not own in this story are Pit, Palutena, Dark Pit, and Medusa (and maybe some Underworld monsters).**

Jenny gripped the steering wheel of her car with limp hands. Every move she made to direct the car was slow and weak. Her fingers slid around the wheel, every nerve in her fingertips dulled by exhaustion. Her eyelids fluttered as they strained to stay awake. Jenny was fully prepared for a calm, quiet evening with nothing eventful happening. She wasn't even sure that, if something different actually _did_ happen, that she would notice.

So many people had come into the hospital that weekend that Jenny had been awake for forty-eight hours…straight. She had known when she had first started studying to be a nurse that she might have a strange schedule, but this seemed almost ridiculous. Twenty-four hours was one thing. Forty-eight was a whole different story.

Jenny sighed in relief as she turned onto her street and her house came into view. But as she approached, her sigh became a groan. The leaves, which she had so neatly raked up two days before, were strewn all over her small yard. Orange maple leaves fluttered lightly through the air, as though taunting her with the sudden task ahead of her.

Jenny pulled up, moaning in complaint. She knew she was acting childish, and at age forty-three, she knew that acting this way was out of the question. But here she was: exhausted, in desperate need of sleep, and now, suddenly needed to clean up…again.

She slid out of her car after she had parked. Grabbing her purse, she gazed at the mess before her. It was crazy. She knew that she lived in one of the windiest cities in the United States, but this was ridiculous. There had barely been any wind in the past few days, so far as she knew. But something had to have done this.

Even though Jenny's eyes were tired and on the verge of closing and not opening again for a while, they still managed to catch sight of another color in the midst of the oranges, yellows, reds, and browns. White. Jenny's tired brain took a while to register the abnormal color, but in a few seconds, her brain snapped into gear. White. Maples weren't white: not in the fall, not ever. And no other plant Jenny could think of had white leaves. So…?

Jenny opened the gate before her, sliding into the yard enclosed by a grey painted fence. She walked over to the largest pile of blown leaves, where the white color came from. It looked like fabric and fluttered in the wind like a small surrender flag. Jenny quickly walked over, so glad at that moment that her job allowed her to wear tennis shoes and she wasn't in high heels, or else she would never have been able to walk through the orange and red mine field.

As soon as her sight passed over the mound of leaves, her eyes narrowed and she groaned slightly. In the pile, asleep, laid a boy. He was dressed all in white, in what looked like a Roman toga. The scarf wrapped around his neck was the fabric that she had seen floating in the wind. Jenny wasn't surprised to see what the boy was wearing. Halloween was only a few days away and the kids up and down the street had been wearing their costumes everywhere from school to just playing in their yards as they showed off their Spiderman and Harry Potter costumes to one another.

But Jenny was annoyed. This kid had obviously messed up her yard and was now sleeping in victory in the piles he had made. That was infuriated her. She glared at the small figure. She gently nudged boy's arm with one foot. "Hey, kid, what do you think you're doing in my yard?"

The boy didn't move. Jenny grumpily nudged the boy harder. "Kid, wake up!"

The boy moved ever so slightly, his face contorting in what Jenny could only identify as pain. He moaned and twisted sharply in his fitful sleep. That was when Jenny noticed the way his other arm laid in the leaves. It bent at the angle that she only knew too well. As a nurse, this was one of the most common issues she saw after an accident. Broken bone.

Jenny gasped and ran to the steps of her house. She grabbed her keys from her purse and jammed the correct key from the assortment on her keychain into the keyhole. She rushed into her house and threw her purse onto one of the cushy chairs in the living room. She turned on the lights in the kitchen and cleared off the large island. She placed the objects she cleared onto different surfaces: tables, chairs, counter tops, anything flat she could find that had room on it. As soon as she was sure everything was gone, she ran back out of the house and to the largest leaf pile. She bent down and gently took the boy in her arms. She huffed under the weight, but still managed to speedily rush the boy back into the house. She hurried back and closed the front door as soon as she had laid the boy on his back on the kitchen island. Then, rushing down the hall, she rushed into the bathroom and, opening the linen closet, she grabbed her first aid kit and bolted back into the kitchen.

Jenny looked over the boy who, despite his strangely positioned arm, looked well enough, with maybe a few scratches on his arms and legs. It was hard to tell though with the boy's costume. On his lower arms were a pair of large, bulky gold and brown armbands. She would have to take those off him before setting his arm, especially since one of them was most likely covering the exact break point.

And she did just that. She gently pulled the bands over the boy's hands and off his arms. She weighed them experimentally, surprised to find how heavy the bands were. She had expected some cheap plastic armbands that could be bought at any costume store, but these felt as though they could be made of pure gold or brass. How much were these worth? Whatever they were, they felt solid in Jenny's hands.

Jenny felt around on the arm, feeling for a large break. The area wouldn't be hard, due to the large assortment of bruises splashing the arm. The exact place of the break would take more feeling around.

The boy moaned in his sleep in pain. Without an x-ray machine, Jenny knew her work would be much harder, but after about ten minutes of feeling, she found the stop where the two parts of the bone had snapped.

This was the tricky part. Jenny was sure she could fix the problem on one snap, but her problem wasn't herself, it was the boy. If she managed to do it wrong, and did not set it right the first time, she would have to do it again. By that time, the boy might be awake. Jenny was actually quite surprised that the boy hadn't already awoken from the pain, but she was sure he would wake up after she set the bone. But Jenny couldn't think of any other way. She _could _drive to the hospital, but it was almost a half of an hour away. And Jenny knew that she wasn't even close to being awake enough to drive. True, this whole incident had given her a serious adrenaline rush, but she knew it wouldn't last long enough for her to get to the hospital.

So Jenny took the boy's arm gently in her steady hands. She had already gotten out a short plank of wood from the garage, leftover from the redesigning of the master bathroom, for a splint and she had gauze and tape and string to hold the splint on.

Jenny was suddenly nervous. She had only ever set the bones of patients that had been knocked out for their own safety. So she wasn't exactly sure how she was going to do this. Jenny wasn't necessarily afraid of setting the bone; she had been trained to do so. Her problem was what the boy would do when she actually managed to set the bone. Most patients went hysterical when faced with having a bone set back into place, but then again, the procedure was painful.

Jenny took a deep breath and hardened her gaze. She rolled up the sleeves of her scrubs and took the boy's arm into her hands as gently as possible. The boy barely stirred, but his eyes screwed up and his teeth gritted together as though he knew what was happening.

Jenny gently felt the arm to make sure she had the proper place, and, before, she could change her mind, gently slid the bone halves around until they fit together neatly. The boy's mouth opened wide, releasing a loud groaning sound. The skin on his face broke out in sweat. But as soon as the bone set back into place, Jenny thought she heard the slightest sighing sound, as though he too felt the tiniest relief from the now correctly placed bone.

Jenny herself sighed. There, she had done it. Now to find a splint.

She looked back to the boy for a second, and caught sight of his brow. Nestled messily in his hair was what looked like a wreath, but made of a golden metal-like substance. Jenny felt slightly self-conscious as she brushed back his soft brown hair, gently touching his brow, but she grabbed the wreath and slid it gently in her hand.

The wreath was beautifully crafted. Every leaf of gold looked as though it had been bent and carved individually. It was carved into the exact likeness of a laurel wreath, identical to the ones given at the Ancient Greek Olympics. It was a good weight as well. Jenny vaguely wondered if it was made of gold.

But she laid it down on the table next to the armbands and shook her head, thinking with an amused sigh that what a shame it was that kids put so much money into one Halloween costume to only wear it once.

**I love Jenny a lot! I can't wait to continue with her and find out her story. Tell me what you all think of her and the story so far! Thanks!**


	4. Chicken Soup for the Angel's Soul

**So…welcome back to Pit's perspective! Sorry about "Angel Land" by the way. I know it's a part of the Skyworld, but the name is so freaking lame! But I kept it anyways though. So, tell me what you all think of this section. Thank you to Mariko Midori and Rachael Ray Wolf for commenting! You guys totally made my day!**

**Also, sorry I didn't get much into daily life of Angel Land (with pit being late all the time, it made it hard to tell what was going on around him J). I'll try to talk more about the angels in the Skyworld more later on and what they look like and what they do and stuff like that. Wait, did I just give away something? Darn it! Argh! Forget I even wrote this!**

Even in his half awake state, Pit could feel the pain. It laced up his left arm throughout the rest of his body. And when it hit his brain, it took all of his concentration and all of his teeth biting on his lips to keep from screaming as loud as his lungs would allow him. Pit sucked in air slowly, hoping desperately that the air would dampen the pain.

Pit had had his eyes open since he had woken up, but it was only after no less than twenty deep breaths that he actually saw what was above him. He stared uncomprehendingly above him, to the white area. Funny, he never remembered marble having tiny spikes facing downwards. Wasn't marble normally smooth?

Pit sat straight up, only to nearly shriek in pain. Every nerve in his body felt as though it were on fire. He looked down at his arm. It had been straightened out completely, both upper and lower sections attached to a long wooden stake. But now he could see the source of the pain; the lower section of his arm was bruised so large that the section looked like a piece of fruit. The purples and angry reds blended together into a colorful mark that suggested some major problem in his lower arm.

Pit's gaze shifted from his arm to the room around him. He gazed around himself in wonder. There was so much color! He knew for a fact that just about every angel's room was a blend of whites, silvers, and basic pale colors, like cream and beige. What Pit saw at that moment was definitely not pale. The walls were a beautiful yellow color, and were bumpy, not like marble at all. Strange brown furniture made of wood was placed against the walls in random but neat places. Pit was immediately was confused. No furniture in Angel Land was made of wood. All room necessities were made of white marble.

The bed he was lying on was made of the same wood that the furniture was. Sitting up, his lower body was covered by a large blanket that was colored bright red with orange borders. Lifting up the comforter, Pit gently stroked the soft blankets. He rubbed the beautiful yellowish against his cheek, taking care to not move his left arm. _These things are comfortable_, he thought vaguely, _my blankets are as thin as clouds. These are so thick and comfortable._ He gently laid down the blanket and slid his feet out from under the sheets and stepped out onto the floor. The wood underneath his bare feet was not as chilly as white marble. It was as smooth as marble, but felt slicker beneath his toes.

Pit looked down to the floor and found his sandal boots, which had been neatly laid out beside the bed. Pit looked at them strangely for a second. He didn't remember taking off his shoes. He snorted slightly. Then again, he didn't even know where the heck he was.

Pit moaned as he laid back on the bed. His thoughts were in a jumble. The last thing he could remember was a color: white. And the feeling of water vapor, and the chill that came with it. His mind suddenly returned to the last feeling he could recollect. It was the feeling of…helplessness. He had been out of control.

Suddenly, it all came back to him: he had fallen through the Cloud Barrier. And…Palutena…! Pit leaped up from his down position, but he moved so fast that he slammed his bad arm into the wooden table by the bed.

This time, Pit couldn't hold back. He breathed in sharply and screamed at the top of his lungs. Every inch of his body seared with fire. He roared as loud as was physically possible for him. And it almost made the pain go away. Almost.

"Hey, are you okay in there?"

Pit was so startled, his screaming ceased almost immediately. For a split second, his arm suddenly stopped hurting. Pit stared at the door in shock.

Something pounded on the door, and the same voice came again. "Are you alright? May I come in?"

Pit shook his head and cleared it. "Um…" he paused. Maybe whoever was talking could give him some answers, like where he was, for instance. He cleared his throat. "Um, sure, come on in."

The door opened and in came a woman. She stood tall and slender, but Pit could see the age that had caught up with her. A ponytail pulled back her long orange hair, but her face revealed aging wrinkles along her brow and her green eyes. With a smooth jaw line, a prominent brow, and a pair of thin eyebrows, she had a well formed face and a good complexion. She wore a light green shirt and a pair of dark blue pants. Did girls normally wear pants? All the angel girls in Angel Land wore some sort of shorts or skirts.

The woman looked at him with beautiful, calming eyes that were filled with concern. Pit suddenly did a double take. Those eyes…they were the exact same shade of green that Palutena's were! And the concern filling them…that was Palutena as well! Pit couldn't help but stare. "Palutena?"

The woman gazed at him strangely. "I'm sorry, but that's not my name," she held out her hand to shake, "My name is Jenny. Who are you?"

Pit stood up a little straighter. "I am General Pit of the Centurion's Guard of Queen Palutena's Army."

The woman's face twitched into a smile. "Quite a name for one so young."

Pit glanced around. "I would like to speak to the person in charge of this area."

Jenny put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'm the person in charge. What would you like to know, General?" She raised one eyebrow slightly and her lips upturned in a half smile. Pit scowled. He knew that look. It meant _"who do you think you are, small person? Trying to be bigger than you are?"_ Pit had seen that expression too many times, due to his height and his failure to fly properly. And now it made him mad.

He straightened up to his full height. "I would first like to know exactly where I am."

The woman nodded. "Fair enough. You happen to be in Chicago, Illinois, in the Unites States of America."

Pit watched her carefully. "I have never heard of this place you speak of."

Jenny looked surprised. "Really? It's one of the biggest cities in the United States. How far have you been traveling from that you don't know his place?"

Pit's heart suddenly dropped from his chest. He…something had happened. He remembered now. His confidence dimmed and he felt his whole stature sag. He had fallen. He had let Palutena down. "Too far," he mumbled, looking down at his feet. His eyes stung as tears brimmed the lids of his eyes and then streaked down his cheeks. He felt a sob rise in his chest. Why was he crying? He was supposed to be strong! But the though of his failure, the image of Palutena lying unconscious on the floor of the temple that was burned into his mind…it made his whole being shake with anger at himself, with fear of Medusa, and with hatred towards Dark Pit.

Jenny seemed to notice something was wrong for she hurried to his side and stood behind him, gently touching his shoulders. "Hey," she whispered, lightly shaking him, "are you alright?"

Pit wanted nothing more than to harden his gaze, straighten his shoulders, look confidently at the woman and say that nothing was wrong and it was only a short spell. But no matter how deeply he breathed and how courageous he tried to make himself, his whole body continued to break down. He dared not look at Jenny, but shook his head wearily.

"Come with me," Jenny said quietly, smoothly pushing him from the room. Pit did nothing to argue. He simply let the tears continue to stream down his cheeks and drip silently off his face.

Pit didn't pay attention to where the woman was leading him, but he noticed that he had been seated somewhere. He kept his eyes closed, or tried to. He managed well enough until his nose picked up something.

The woman was seated across from him at a wooden table. In front of Pit was a bowl filled to the brim with something yellow and transparent. Floating in it were chunks of pinkish and orange cubes and tan swirled…things. The woman smiled at his interest. "Go on, eat it! It'll make you feel better, I promise."

A smarter angel might have inspected the liquid more carefully or refused it all together. But Pit being Pit picked up the spoon set neatly in front of him, took a huge mouthful of the liquid and swallowed. After the initial heat shock, Pit felt his tongue explode in flavor. He had never tasted something quite like this before. He hurriedly took another mouthful. The flavors again slid through his mouth, lighting every taste bud with a silky, smooth feeling. If Pit had been paying more attention, he might have noticed that the tears had stopped or that the cramping, aching feeling inside of his chest had loosened. But he was too into the food to notice.

"Whaht ish dis?" He murmured to Jenny, his mouth still full.

She smiled as she sipped on a mug of something brown. "Chicken noodle soup. Do you like it?"

Pit swallowed hard and smiled. "It's fantastic!" In no time flat, the bowl was empty, leaving Pit wishing for more. Fortunately, Jenny, who seemed to pick up on things fast, hurriedly got him another bowl.

Jenny watched as he cleared his second bowl just as quickly as the first. "I thought you'd be hungry," she smiled. She swirled around the contents of her mug before saying slowly. "So…Pit, where do you come from?"

Pit swallowed the last of the soup. "Angel Land."

Jenny blinked. "And, where is Angel Land?"

Pit thought for a moment. If he had fallen…he pointed upwards. "It's a part of the Skyworld. You know, up there."

Jenny took another sip of the brown liquid. "Interesting. So…what do you like to do?"

Pit shrugged. "Well, not flying. I'm not very good yet."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Flying?"

Pit felt his cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment. "Yeah, my wings aren't fully grown out yet, so I can only fly for about five minutes before my wings cramp up. My wings grew in later than most angels' do, so I have to wait until the bones are stronger."

Jenny laid down the mug, eyes wide. "Did you say 'angels'?"

Pit nodded. "Yeah, you're an angel, right?"

Jenny blinked again in surprise. "No…I'm a human."

"So…what do your wings look like? Are they like bat wings or more like mine?"

"My wings?"

"Yeah, you know…" Pit stood up and slowly pulled off his toga, which he found extremely difficult with only the use of his right arm. But he managed and as soon as he pulled off the long white and silver fabric, he slid off his navy blue short sleeved shirt and turned so his back faced Jenny. And with one swift motion, he unfurled his long, white wings.

He looked over his shoulder at Jenny. Her face was pale, her lips drawn together tightly. Pit looked back at his wings, then at her. "What?" he said, completely and utterly confused at her reaction, "don't all humans have them?"

**I totally loved this last line! So, are you starting to catch on to Jenny and her part to play in this story? Well, I'll update as soon as possible and give you the next chapter, which will hopefully give away more details. Thanks for keeping up with me so far!**

**P.S. Sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the others. I'll try to make the next chapter longer :)**

**~pixeljam**


	5. More Breakdowns

**Sorry to everyone who got an email saying this was new. I had a serious error in this that I had to change and so I just re-uploaded the chapter. Sorry!**

**Thank you little sister for bugging me into writing! I needed all the bugging I could get! Thanks also to all the people who reviewed! It means a lot to me! Oh, and sorry this chapter is so long! It just needed to be!**

Jenny's only problem with Pit was that she had no idea how she was going to get him home. Where did this kid live that he didn't know Chicago, one of the biggest cities in the United States? And how was she supposed to find this 'Angel Land' and where the heck was the 'Skyworld'? Were they cities in the middle of nowhere? Were they in another country?

Well, those _were_ Jenny's issues…that is until she saw the wings.

She gaped at the boy's back where, from the skin around his shoulder blades, there sprouted a pair of white wings, not unlike a swan's or a dove's. She stared as the feathers fluffed out, like a bird's did to get warm. Each of the feathers sparkled with natural oils in the lights of the living room.

Jenny realized that her face must have drained of blood, because Pit looked over his bare shoulder and looked at her in a mixture of confusion and concern. "What?" He said plainly, as though this were an everyday occurrence, "Don't all humans have them?"

Jenny swallowed hard. This was definitely not normal. She had been a nurse for almost ten years and had seen some fairly strange things, but this topped everything. She took a deep breath and stared back at Pit. "No, Pit, humans don't have wings."

Pit blinked widely, as though this surprised him. Jenny wondered just how many humans he had ever seen if this surprised him. Jenny no longer wondered how she was going to get the young angel back home. That was a problem for another time.

Jenny watched as Pit tried to slide his navy blue shirt back on, but she could tell that after a few seconds, taking off the shirt had been easier than putting it back on, especially with a splint on one arm. She hurried up and helped him gently put the shirt back on.

Pit glared at his arm in annoyance as he sat back down. "What is this thing anyways?"

Jenny sat back in her spot. "A splint. You broke your arm."

Pit winced and stared back down. He focused his sharp blue eyes on the bruises. "I feel like I should remember this, but I can't." He turned his gaze onto Jenny. She looked deeply back into those eyes. They easily held what Jenny would call mischief. She had seen that enough in other boy's eyes. But for a teenager, there was much knowledge as well hidden in those eyes the color of the midday sky. "Jenny, why am I here? How did I get into your house? And…" he paused for a second before continuing, "…why did you help me?"

Jenny leaned back slightly in her chair, setting down her now cold coffee. "It's my job to help people. I'm a nurse. I make people feel better. I found you in my front yard, in a pile of leaves, and I saw your arm was broken. So I brought you in here and fixed it, well, I fixed it as well as I could." She looked at her impromptu splint, made of a small board that she had found in her garage. "As soon as you're feeling better, we'll take you to the doctor's and get you an actual cast," she smiled at his confused expression, "Believe me, it'll make it easier for you to move in."

Pit smiled a wide grin that lit his face with a sunny light. "Well, I'm all about things being easier." He looked around the room, from the table, to the windows, to the fireplace and the cozy pair of chairs. "I like your house."

Jenny smiled and dipped her head in thanks. She looked to him. "So, Pit, tell me little bit about yourself."

Pit shrugged. "I'm one of the General's of Palutena's Army."

"Who is this Palutena?"

Pit's smile suddenly dropped. His eyes grew sad and his head dipped slightly as though he had lost all energy to keep it fully upright. He took a deep breath and released it, the loud sight almost heartbreaking to Jenny. "The goddess Palutena is the queen of the Skyworld. She appointed me General of the Army and I'm also on in her personal bodyguards."

"What's she like?"

Pit's expression softened to an almost dreamy state. "She's really tall, and has long hair the color of grass, or pine tree needles, something like that and it smells like jasmine. She always wears white and gold, and the way she holds herself…it's elegant and smooth and silky like. She's just…she always listens. And she always has time for everyone. For me…"

Jenny now regretted asking Pit about the goddess, for his face reflected such deep sadness and despair. Her own heart squeezed for the boy. Every motherly instinct in her body suddenly poured forth. She wanted nothing more than to comfort the young boy in front of him and make him feel better. "Pit," she asked quietly as she walked over and gently rubbed his shoulders, "tell me what's wrong."

Pit's shoulders shook as he once again began to cry. Jenny felt as some of the tears ran down to his shoulders and touched her skin. She knew better than to disrupt the boy while he broke down. He just needed to let out all of his despair, his anger, and his sadness. And those tears would help.

It took a few minutes for the sobs to subside enough for Pit to talk. When he did speak, it was so quiet that Jenny had to strain to hear. "I fell."

He turned around so his tear streaked face was faced towards Jenny. "Medusa pushed me off Angel Land. I couldn't protect Palutena. Nighthawk was right! I'm weak! I can't even fly correctly. I couldn't save her!" More tears began to fall from his face.

Jenny wasn't sure who Nighthawk was and she wasn't going to ask, but her heart broke for the teenager before her. She drew her chair close to Pit and sat down. She hugged the boy gently and he grabbed onto her, laying his head against her shoulder and erupting back into sobs.

Jenny knew that what she was doing might be scorned by her workmates. She had let a complete stranger into her house, gave him food and a bed, and was comforting him like a mother would a son with barely knowing the boy in the first place. But this was different. For one, this boy wasn't an everyday, normal person. Second, as a mother of a past teenage boy, Jenny already knew the ropes. And with this, her maternal alarm was going off, telling her to comfort the boy.

Finally, after what seemed an hour, Pit withdrew his head from Jenny's shoulder. He wiped away the spare tears from his face, sniffling slightly. "I'm sorry," he croaked with a cracking voice, "I'm not normally this emotional."

Jenny gently rubbed his back, remembering how well it worked with calming Ryan down. Slowly, Pit's breathing slowed and his face returned back to normal color from being red from the tears. Jenny watched with a small smile as Pit's eyes slowly began to droop. She gently grabbed Pit's good arm and led him back to his room, taking care not to trip on the toga's edge, which was hanging over Pit's chair. She laid Pit down and slowly walked out of the room, turning off the light. She then walked back to the living room and gathered up the toga. She folded the silky, thin piece of fabric and laid it on the counter next to the armbands, golden wreath, and a pair of what looked like knives that she had taken from Pit's belt. She smiled as she gazed over the objects. Halloween costume indeed!

* * *

><p>Nighthawk could feel the beads of sweat drip off him as he flew faster than he had ever flown before. It was ironic to him that though he had always chided Pit on being late, that it was he who now the late one. But then again, Nighthawk was in for a more dangerous punishment than a scolding from Palutena.<p>

Nighthawk rushed into Palutena's Temple and threw himself face first onto the black floor. It was amazing how even the colors had changed and Angel Land. All the whites and silvers and golden colors had become blacks and greenish tints. The sky had even become darker to match the being of the new Emperor.

"Rise, Angel of Darkness."

Nighthawk gritted his teeth and stood up. Medusa called all of the angels that now. It made Nighthawk want to scream aloud to her. But he bit his tongue and rose to her. Even the slightest resistance would result in eternal torture for all the angels.

Medusa gazed at him with that wicked smile of hers, the one that made Nighthawk feel like punching her face. Even looking at her face caused Nighthawk's emotions run hot with anger. He gritted his teeth and had to force himself to bow down to her. "You highness," he spat, filling every word with venom.

"Nighthawk," she hissed. Nighthawk rose and met her gaze, the one that no other angel could stare at for too long. Nighthawk stared right back at her, hoping vaguely that his eyes would burn a whole through her face. He hated this monster with more hate than he had ever felt before. Because of her, Pit was gone. Palutena was no where to be found. And her evil henchman, Dark Pit, flew around Angel Land terrifying the other angels.

Medusa glared back at him. All the snakes on her head hissed at Nighthawk, their beady eyes hoping for another angel to feed on, for more blood to quench their thirst.

Medusa held up one clawed, gnarled hand and motioned for Nighthawk. He drew forwards. He had no choice. It was as though her fingers were pulling on strings that would make him move against his will. But nothing could change his face. His eyes bored into her own, his lips pinched in the most distasteful way imaginable.

Medusa waited until he was close, touching the throne that had once been the goddess's when she still around. Now it had been changed in the same way the beautiful crown had: from gold and flowing to cracked lava. Nighthawk felt a wave of sadness descend over him. So many things had changed…

"You are truly an angel of the Underworld," Medusa hissed at him, "You have the dark wings that Dark Pit does." She drew closer. The snakes on her head gently laid themselves over Nighthawk's head. But Nighthawk didn't even flinch, even as the scaly beasts drew their dry tongues through his hair, over his face, and along his neck. "I am promoting you. Do well, _General_ Nighthawk. Commander Dark Pit will give you your new duties over the monsters."

Nighthawk held back a laugh. As soon as Pit had disappeared, he had pretended to side with Medusa. The other angels had noticed the change. Nighthawk had completely changed his demeanor. Gone was the joking, fun angel that had spent all his days with Pit, teaching him how to fly correctly. Now, he acted as though he were a monster as well. He had learned to harden his eyes, to become apathetic to every problem that arose to him. And it had worked. But despite everything he had done, Nighthawk knew that Medusa still did not trust him. And he didn't blame her.

Nighthawk bowed deeply. "My lady, General Pit—"

Medusa's calm attitude was gone. In its place was a snarling viper. Every snake on her head hissed angrily. Her staff appeared in her hand. Her already slit eyes became even narrower. Nighthawk noticed how the air almost seemed to become muggier as her anger increased. "I thought," she roared above the hissing snakes, "that I made it very clear that that angel's name was never to be mentioned!"

Nighthawk bowed again, keeping himself calm. "I understand. I simply wish to know how we can be banned from that name if your own servant is named after him."

The air cleared slowly as Medusa's temper slowed. She slowly sat down, her staff disappearing back into oblivion. "You bring up a good point," she mused, "I will have to dwell on that."

Nighthawk bowed again, "I am always glad to help, my lady. I will now return to my duties." He backed slowly out of the temple and into the grey outside world. He took to the air as soon as he could see the overcast sky.

Nighthawk gazed around the destructed world. How could something that had once been so beautiful be so messed up? The once gleaming cobblestone pathways were dull and lifeless. All the once green grass had quickly turned yellow when Medusa had taken over. The whole of the sky islands were covered with Underworld monsters, watching the skies for escapees. Nighthawk sighed sadly and looked around to the sky empty of the birds that had once flown freely. No angels flew anymore unless from one island to the other. They all stayed inside now. There were no crops to harvest anymore, no flowers to grow, no trees to play hide and go seek in. Nighthawk felt his chest clench. Even the floating pillars that had once been used to play airball in were gone. Playing was out of the question. Any work being done was the creation of weaponry.

Nighthawk gazed into the open air, down to the Cloud Barrier. _Pit, if you're not dead and you can hear me, we need you. We need your fun and happiness, for we have almost none left. Pit, hear me! Hurry up!_

**(*sniff, sniff*) I have to admit, I was seriously depressed after writing this! It just made me sad to think of the Skyworld as being ruined. But hey, what has to be done, has to be done! By the way, did anyone catch the random new person I added into here? I'll get back to him later on, don't you all worry! And this was not what I meant in the earlier chapter about daily life. That will come later, I promise!**


	6. Too Many Memories

**Hey! Sorry this update took so long to do! But now that it's spring break, hopefully I'll be able to write more and update faster! Thank you to all the new reviews! It makes me glad that people like my writing. Oh, and for all of you that have emailed me or PM'd me about typos, I have some trouble with my laptop. My 'e' key sticks, which totally sucks because 'e' is the most commonly used letter in the alphabet. So, when I'm trying to write "every", it comes out as "vry" and I have to go back and fix it! So anyways, thanks for reading!**

"Pit, you're going to break the window if you keep that up."

Pit immediately stopped pressing on the window control. He had been pressing the button that moved the windows of the car up and down ever since they had gotten into the car from the hospital. He turned back to Jenny, grin wide and eyes sparkling. "Sorry, this thing is just so…" he paused and thought for a few seconds, "so magical!"

Jenny let out a small laugh. In the past two days that Pit had been with her, he had changed from an emotional thoughtful teenager to the bubbliest, happiest kid that Jenny had ever seen. And he constantly made her smile with his random comments about how everyday household items were suddenly magical. She had had to go into an in depth explanation about showers and pipes to convince him that there were _not_ rain clouds in the walls that poured every time you turned the shower handle. The other object that had caught his interest almost immediately was the car. Pit had asked Jenny at least ten times if she was a wizard due to the fact that she could make a box move without anyone pushing it.

Jenny looked at Pit's arm. The bright blue cast had been put on that afternoon and Pit seemed happy to get rid of the splint. Jenny looked at it again. If what Pit said was true about falling from this 'Angel Land' place, she was surprised that he hadn't died on impact. She knew from his facts that he was unable to fly for more than five minutes at a time and he could not fly out of a falling position. So how he managed to survive the fall with nothing more than a broken arm absolutely befuddled Jenny. But then again, in the past few days, Jenny had seen some pretty strange things, so in some ways, it seemed natural that the angel was just about fine.

Jenny looked Pit up and down. The clothes she had gotten him seemed to be working well enough. Jenny had decided almost immediately after her first day with Pit that, if they were going to get his arm set in a hospital, he would need to at least look like a normal human being. So she had gone out and had gotten him some clothes that at least an acceptable teenager would wear. So now he was dressed in a white t-shirt, black pants, and a red and orange nylon sport jacket. She had taken his sandal boots, or whatever they were, and was going to go and buy some shoes for him later. She personally thought he looked quite good and Pit also seemed to like them.

Jenny pulled up into the driveway, turning off the car. Pit immediately jumped out and threw himself into a pile of leaves, after leaping over the white picket fence with a huge bound that didn't seem possible to Jenny for any teenage boy of his size. Jenny smiled as she watched him jump back up and close his eyes, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. Living with Pit had been like living with an extremely smart baby. Jenny constantly had to tell the boy what he should do and what he should not do. Even simple things like buckling into the car were new to him. But, unlike a newborn, Pit learned quickly. He now knew that the stove was hot and you should not touch it, that glass breaks when it is hit, and doors will swing open on their own sometimes, often ending up with the person opening it getting hit in the face.

Jenny locked the car and walked into the yard towards the house. "Come on, Pit. You're going to need a good sleep tonight so you'll be ready for your first day of school tomorrow."

Pit jumped after her. "Well, if it's anything like the school I had to go to in Angel Land so I could learn to fight, then I'll love it!"

Jenny highly doubted any similarities at all, but she wasn't about to tell Pit that. He was in too much of a good mood to hear anything bad anyhow. Personally, Jenny grimaced at the idea of sending Pit to high school. She knew just how dramatic and tough the years as a teenager could be, and she was afraid the extreme conditions of school, especially high school, would dampen the spirit of her little angel. But she knew the law. Every child had to go to some sort of school. Jenny wouldn't have minded home schooling him, but with her job, there was no way to give Pit the education he would need to pass standardized tests. Pit would have to learn a lot if the only school in the Skyworld was for fighting.

Jenny bit back a sigh at Pit's words from the day before. He had been helping her carry in groceries and had commented on how many of them there were. Jenny had replied that most of them were for him, joking lightly about his appetite and how much more she would need to keep him fed. Pit had looked back at her with worry in his eyes. Jenny could still remember his exact words. 'Don't worry. As soon as my wings grow out to full size, I'll get back to Angel Land. Then you won't have to buy so much.'

Jenny felt as though her heart were going to snap. Also the day before, Pit had accidentally knocked over a picture frame, thankfully not breaking the glass inside. He had brought it to Jenny and had asked her about it. Just looking at the picture had brought back a flood of memories to Jenny. The picture was of her and her son: Ryan. The picture had been taken down in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia on a vacation. The smiling, blond haired teenager had an arm over her shoulder, his blue eyes, so like Jenny's, sparkling in the bright sunlight.

Jenny had told Pit about Ryan, her son. Pit had looked at the picture seriously and had looked back at her with deep eyes and had said, 'So, where's his father?'

Jenny remembered sighing and looking out one of the windows to the busy street just outside. 'I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, Pit. But if there is one thing I prided myself in, it was not giving up Ryan.'

And now, the strangest thing had happened. Jenny had had to let Ryan go, had to let him find his own way in the world. That had been almost seven years ago and every day she missed her son more and more.

And then, Pit had come along.

The bouncy angel acted so much like Ryan, the similarities were uncanny. They even had the same smile. Pit had filled up the emptiness in Jenny's heart and had brought it back to the days when she was young and playing games with her son. And now…Pit was going to leave.

Jenny sighed. Losing one son was bad enough, but to lose two? She had technically become Pit's foster parent while he was here; she had even made it legal with the signing of a few papers. But what really mattered was that her heart was full again, or at least partially so.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, Kestrel, wait up!" Pit threw his small wings open and jumped after the tall girl. Her bounding leaps could have quickly outrun Pit, but she stopped and waited for the young angel to catch up behind her. He eventually did, with much panting and coughing. But his exhaustion didn't stop him from jumping up with a smile and fluttering his wings out. "Can I please come play with you guys today, Kessie?"<em>

_ The tall girl looked at him almost apologetically, her malt blond hair glinting off the sun. Her hazel eyes looked down on him with flashes of protectiveness. For as long as Pit could remember, Kestrel had been like his older sister; she kept him safe from the rougher antics of the other angels and helped train him to fly better. But now she looked at him with sad eyes. "I don't think so, Pit," she said quietly, "maybe when you're older and your wings grow out more." She bent down so they were at eyelevel. "I don't think you're strong enough to play airball yet. You might want to wait a little while."_

_ Pit could feel every one of his feathers fall at Kestrel's words. His happy spirit dampened, but he bit his lip and nodded, trying as hard as he could to seem upbeat about it. But it didn't work. Kestrel's face fell as well, her eyes betraying just how much she wanted the little angel to play. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, her eyes brightening._

_ "I know!" she said rather excitedly, "you might not be able to play ball with us, by why don't you come anyways? I can introduce you to my team and you can watch us play!"_

_ Airball teams were made of experienced teenage and young adult angels. Each year, the teams would go around Angel Land and try to recruit younger angels who had a knack for flying and maneuverability. The angels would each finally decide to be a part of a team. Kestrel was the captain of one of the best teams and Pit hoped desperately to be a part of her team someday. But unlike other recruits, he definitely did not have a knack for flying. His wings had grown in late, making them smaller than other angels' his age and causing them to not be quite in the correct proportion they should be. Palutena had told Pit that they would grow out eventually, but it would take time. _

_ Pit grinned. "You really mean it, Kes?"_

_ Kestrel grinned so wide that Pit could barely match it. "Yeah, come on!"_

_ The two flapped their way to the airball field, which basically consisted of about fifty poles all floating in midair off of one of the islands. The goal of the game was to throw a largish leather ball through a pair of the larger poles. Each of the teams consisted of six team members: one goalie, a center, a pair of defenders and a pair of attackers. Any of the angels could change positions at any time and the defenders often became attackers during the game. Kestrel's team had three attackers, one defender, a goalie, and her as center. The center started off the game and threw the ball. The ball had to smack against one of the poles during any throw, or else the team was fowled. But the players had become extremely good making their passes by hitting the pole at just the right angle that they bounced off at top speed and landed in another angel's arms. Once that angel had the ball, he or she was not allowed to move until they passed the ball. Any movement other than hovering would cause a foul. _

_ Kestrel led Pit to the practice that had already begun. The five angels stopped their practice as she soared in among them. They gathered around her and immediately began filling her in with the details of already practiced maneuvers. But with very few words, soon the other angels crowded around Pit as well. The clapped him on the back heartily and each introduced himself or herself: Sparrowhawk, the burly goalie with long black hair; Meadowlark, Oriole, and Raven, the three swift attackers; and Junco, the handsome yet tough defender. And like Kestrel, they treated him like a brother._

_ Pit watched as the practiced continued after its interruption. The angels certainly knew how to work together. And they all acted quickly, as though on impulse rather than strategy. Pit could barely follow the ball with his quick eyes, it moved to fast. The sun glinted off of the gold of Kestrel's hair and the stitching of the angels' togas. Pit couldn't help but admire the sun and its heat._

_ And then, as though it could read his mind, the sun suddenly died out. No, it was more as though it were in the process of dying. The sun turned from its yellow glow to a blood red, the color dripping over it as though it were bleeding. Pit leaped up, shielding himself from the sudden, intense heat. He barely caught a chance to see Kestrel staring at the sun in horror before her body burst into flames. _

_ Pit could feel every muscle in his body scream for his friend, but one by one, the other members of the airball team met the same fate as their captain. The flames rose into the sky and melded together as metal did when melted in extreme flames. And, as though they had minds of their own, the steaks morphed together and formed one figure; a slim one, with hard edges and a head littered with snakes. The face drew closer, the yellow eyes shining in the death with glee, and tongue flicking out to taste the blood in the air. Pit threw his arms in front of his face and screamed, a piercing scream that seemed to erupt from his very being, and—_

Pit screamed and threw his arms out to strike the face in front of him, but his fingers found nothing. He snapped his eyes open.

He was drenched in sweat, from head to wings to toes. His wings felt ruffled and mussed, every feather facing the wrong way. And he shivered. He drew his arms around his body and gripped himself tightly, trying to shove the image of Medusa, of his dead friends, from his mind.

Too many times did his memories and nightmares become confused in his mind when he slept. Every section of that dream had been true, until the part about the dying sun came in. Then it changed from memory of the past to nightmare. The part about his friends dying…that was the part that seriously shook him up. Because he realized it might be true. With Medusa in control of the Skyworld, Pit could only imagine what was going on. His friends could easily be dying.

A knocking on the door slammed Pit from his disturbing thoughts. Jenny walked in, dressed in a thick robe that fell to her feet, her hair a mess. She looked at him, surprised that he was already awake. "Well good morning to you too!" She walked into the room and over to the one window. She easily opened the blinds, letting in what Pit could only describe as blinding light. "Come on, sleepy. It's time for you to get ready for your first day of school!"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure the shirt covers my wings?" Pit couldn't help but fret.<p>

He felt Jenny tug on the bottom of his jacket. "It looks fine, like there's nothing there at all. You look great!"

Pit looked at himself in the mirror. He moved from side to side, inspecting every angle of his new clothes. The white t-shirt was comfortable, as was the long sleeved nylon jacket, colored red, and orange. The black pants fit perfectly and the white tennis shoes were cozy and comfortable. But Pit was still getting used to the idea of most of his skin being covered. He was familiar with loose fitting clothes and open toed shoes. And usually most of the skin on his legs and arms was uncovered. But it would do if he could pass as a human.

"So," Jenny was saying as Pit finished, "I'll drive you to school this morning, but tomorrow, you'll be walking, okay?" Pit nodded.

She span him around, a small smile on her face. "You look so…normal now. Not so fluffy and angelic."

"Is that a…good thing?" Pit bit his lower lip.

Jenny smiled warmly. "In our world, yes. Here, people want other people to be normal. "

Pit stuck out his tongue. "But that's so boring!"

Jenny ruffled his hair with affection. "Tell me about it! Now go grab your backpack and hurry! You'll be late!"

Pit rushed into the kitchen to grab his bag. He turned back to Jenny. "Are you sure I can't bring my bow?"

"Pit, we've been over this. No."

Pit scrunched up his face in annoyance, but quickly let his aggravation be overtaken by his good mood. He hurried from the room and snagged an arm on his backpack, the large black bag sliding neatly against the neat nook in his back where his wings were hidden. He opened the door quickly and leaped out the door, landing in the large pile of leaves in the front yard.

Jenny walked into the doorway, smiling. "If you keep jumping like that, people will_ know_ there's something different about you. You nearly leaped eight feet into the air!"

Pit stood up, shaking fiery colored leaves from his body and hair with a confused expression on his face. "Can't everybody?"

Jenny leaned against the threshold. "Try to stay out of trouble, won't you? Just try to fit in with the other kids."

"Will do, ma'am!" Pit said with a salute.

* * *

><p>Pit stared at the building the small car pulled in front of. Bricks rose from the ground in a never ending pattern. The stairs lined up exactly with the center of the building. Bushes were placed symmetrically on either side of the cement stairs, the patters they were cut into all exactly the same. There was no variation…anywhere. And it scared Pit. It was neat looking, but terrifying. Pit longed to see one of the bushes even a centimeter from its original mark, but nothing stood out to him as even that unusual.<p>

Pit inspected the other teenagers as they leaped up the concrete stairs. Some chained bikes to some sort of shiny snake looking thing, while others slid out of cars, waving to the drivers. Still others chatted aimlessly onwards as they walked up from down the street to the building. It seemed that everyone had a place to get to, a place to go to, or a place they needed to be. It was rather like looking at the Cloud Barrier: well, if the Cloud Barrier had been made of rainbows. Everyone wore a different color, mixing and matching clothing styles, types, and colors. Pit watched as a group of people all in black passed him by. He couldn't help but stare at the drabness. Obviously, these people had never seen prisms and light before.

"I'll be here at three thirty to pick you up, okay?"

Pit turned to face her. She fiddled gently with the steering wheel with her thumbs. She smiled at Pit, but her eyes betrayed deep concern. She reached over and gently ruffled Pit's already messy hair. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

Pit smiled and opened the door of the car, swinging his backpack onto his back. "Always."

He watched as the car pulled away, taking Jenny with it. He stared after it, almost confused. It seemed as though the constant movement and chaos of the people around him had already entered his brain. But with steely determination, he turned around so he faced the terrifyingly bland building. He glared at it fiercely. Nothing was going to stop him from getting ready to save Palutena. Pit gently fluffed the feathers on his wings. _So hurry up and grow, wings! We've got a goddess to save soon!_

Pit set his shoulders and walked stiffly towards the building, following the mob of other people that were experienced in this matter. School had officially begun.

**Pit has very very very very very very very very VERY detailed dreams, at least in this case. Did anyone else catch that I names all of the angels (that I invented) off of birds? Kestrel makes me so happy, so I'm still pondering if whether I should bring her back later or not...I'm also pondering if I should bring Ryan back in the flesh...any ideas? PM me also if you have an idea for a new name for Dark Pit, because I can't really call him that anymore, since Medusa banned Pit's name from the Skyworld, and 'Pit' is in 'Dark Pit'. So, talk to me if you have a good new name for Dark Pit. Oh, and, as always, please continue to review!**

**~pixeljam**


	7. School is Somewhat Cool

**Two chapters in one day? I never thought I'd pull it off either, but I wrote most of this chapter earlier in short clips. So, it is plausible. And I just love to write! Enjoy my newest characters. I have fun with them!**

Pit walked down the locker hallway, both his shoulders being slammed into by rushing people. Pit held his books close to his chest. Nobody stopped him and asked his name. No one even seemed to realize that he was new and he had never been there before. Everyone was too intent on talking to their friends or getting to the first class of the day. Pit sighed. If this was what being a human was like, Pit was surprised they weren't all depressed all the time.

He walked over to the locker he had been assigned, trying to match the tiny numbers to the one on the combination lock. He pulled upwards. The small piece of plastic under his finger didn't move. Pit frowned. Weird. He was sure he had found the correct numbers.

He tried again. Then a third time. But no matter how many times he matched up the tiny numbers to the small red painted triangle, the metal door remained firmly shut. The hallway was becoming emptier by the second. The first class was about to start and Pit was still confused.

"Hey, new kid, need a hand?"

Pit turned around to the voice. It belonged to a human about Pit's size with a mass of messy black hair. His face was pointed, mischievous, but his green eyes flashed with sympathy. He looked slightly lopsided with his half un-tucked white shirt, creased black pants and blue shoes. Pit nodded slowly and the human gently pushed him aside. "What's your combo?"

Pit took a deep breath. "27-42-18."

The boy gently twisted the lock, going first to the right, then to the left, and back right, still landing on all the numbers. He pulled up fiercely with both hands. The locker door opened with a small click. The boy smiled. "Never used a locker before?"

Pit shook his head.

The kid's face broke into a smile. "Ah, homeschooler. You just have to twist it back and forth to get it right. See ya!" The boy turned around and bolted off down the almost empty hallway.

Pit was temped to run after the boy and thank him, but knew that if he didn't want to be late for his first ever mortal school class, he would have to leave the chance for a new friend behind. So, with a sigh, he hurriedly grabbed his books and, with a quick look at the schedule the Principal had given him, rushed off to his classroom.

Pi had met with the Principal that morning. The tall man was kind enough, with broad shoulders, a hairless head, and dark skin. Pit had looked him up and down with quiet interest as the tall man gave Pit a map of the school, a long chart that had to do with a lot of numbers and class names, and an envelope to give to each of the teachers.

It took Pit only a few minutes to find the room. Even though the words on the paper made no sense to him, the numbers did and each of the numbers corresponded with one on the map. So Pit, after some wandering around, found the room, and he walked straight in. Humans…? Pfft, he wasn't afraid of them. But as he opened the door, he came face to face with the most terrifying person he had ever seen in his one week on earth.

Her hair was iron grey and was pulled back in a tight bun behind her head. She was wearing a dress, also grey that went from neck to ankles in the most colorless piece of material Pit had ever seen. She was tall and stood as straight as a rod. Hard lines seemed to be chiseled into her face. Her silvery eyes shone down on Pit with an air of order and superiority. Pit had never met a human with such rock like features, he was surprised the woman even moved.

Unfortunately, she did. She strode over to Pit, who stood motionless in the threshold. "State your name and your purpose for entering this classroom uninvited." Her voice was hard and icy, matching her eyes almost exactly. They were both like steel knives. Her eyes never wavered from Pit, and yet Pit was sure she knew exactly what he was wearing, his facial expressions, and his worry without moving her eyes from his own.

Pit regained movement. "Um…hi, I'm Pit. I'm a new student here. I just started today." He hurriedly reached into his side bag and pulled out the note the Principal had written for him. He held it out to the woman, who snatched it up with a hand like ice.

She scanned over it fiercely, taking a long moment before looking back to Pit. "Very well," she said sharply, putting both hands behind her back and standing up, if possible, even taller, "My name is Ms. Harpline. I am your Literature and Grammar teacher and if you will kindly take the back seat next to Mr. Karper, Mr. Shoner, we will begin."

Pit wasn't sure if he could take the seat _kindly_ after that talk, but he hurried back anyways and slid into the desk in the back of the room. He hurriedly grabbed his books and placed them neatly on his desk, and waited for the teacher, Ms. Harpline, to start talking. He vaguely wondered if she could play the harp, seeing as her name implied that.

"Psst, new kid," a voice next to him whispered sharply, "you got a pencil I can borrow?"

Pit turned around. He knew that voice. Sure enough, sitting next to him was the very person who had only a few moments ago helped him with his locker. The green eyes shone with mischief and fun. How long had this kid been in this class? To Pit it seemed like fun was against the rules here.

"Um, sure." Pit opened his pencil bag, filled with shining new pencils and grabbed one.

The kid grinned as Pit handed him the writing utensil. "Hey, thanks, Shoner! Usually no one will give me pencils."

Pit blinked. "Why is that?"

The boy's grin grew wider. "Because I always end up losing them! I can keep anything else on me at all times; I've never even lost my dog! But pencils like to sneak off. They're probably off having a party somewhere or something."

Pit raised an eyebrow. "Um…okay…whatever you say. Hey, thanks for helping me with my locker."

"Don't sweat it! Everyone has a hard time their first day. My name's Mark. What's yours?"

Pit looked up to make sure the teacher wasn't watching before answering in a more hushed tone. "I'm Pit."

The kid snorted. "Nice name, Pit!"

"Mr. Karper," came the snappy tone of Ms. Harpline, "If you would please cease your meaningless chatter, we will start class."

"Because that's what _everyone_ in this classroom is begging for," Mark muttered, quiet enough for only Pit to hear. He then turned and grinned at Pit, his look ending in a hearty wink. Pit grinned back. For some reason, Mark reminded him of Nighthawk, even though the two of them looked nothing alike, and Mark wasn't nearly as stern as Nighthawk, but something about them was similar. Pit just couldn't put his finger on it. But what he did know was that Mark seemed like a fun guy to hang around with. And Pit was totally ready for a friend.

* * *

><p>The hallway was crowded as soon as the bell rang.<p>

"So, girls are complicated. You have to show them you like them, but no so much that they think you're obsessed, or else they'll just move on to the next boy in line.'

Pit raised an eyebrow. Mark had been going on about girls since the end of class, and Pit wasn't exactly sure why. And apparently that was why Mark was talking about them in the first place. "And I need to know this…why?"

Mark sighed. "Pit, listen to me. If you want to get a girlfriend, you have to know how to do it!"

"But…why would I want a girlfriend?" Pit was still extremely confused.

Mark groaned in exasperation. He placed an arm around Pit's shoulder, drawing him close. "Pit, buddy, a girl is everything to us guys. We have a thing that girls like and girls have things guys like. Take her for instance." He pointed down the hallways.

Pit followed his hand. Mark was pointing at a group of girls. One with long wavy brown hair was gathering books out of her locker. She had a group of girls around her. Pit looked at each of them, but nothing popped out as purely amazing about any of them. That is, until he fixed his eyes on the last one.

Until that moment, the most beautiful creatures in the world to Pit were the angels and the goddess Palutena. No mortal came even close to them. But his girl was—no other word for it—angelic. She had a pure young face, unblemished by any disfigurements except for a cute splash of freckles. Her shoulder length pale blond hair fell in perfect ringlets about an inch above her shoulders. She was short, but not too much so, at maybe five feet. Her body wasn't overly thin, with slight broad shoulders and slightly wide hips. But her figure was hourglassy and elegant. Pit watched as she smiled at her friends, a set of pearly white teeth being revealed by her perfect beautiful lips. As he turned to look down the hallway, Pit caught sight of her eyes, a most brilliant emerald green, defined nicely by only the slightest of makeup. Any more would have overdone it, made her eyes pop out too much, but the balance of makeup and naturalness made her look absolutely brilliant.

"Kelsey's the one with the brown hair," Mark was saying when Pit realized he had been completely ignoring his new friend, "The tall one. She can play hard to get but loves attention. I'd say she's the perfect one to go after."

Pit looked back to Mark. "Who's the short, blond one?"

Mark looked back to the group. "You mean Kaitlyn? The one with the curls?"

"Yeah," Pit mused, not stopping himself from inspecting her all over again, "She's beautiful."

Mark whistled loudly. "Whoa, dude, hold on a second. You can't possibly think about dating Kaitlyn!"

Pit glared back, confused. "Why not? And what's 'dating'? Dates are fruits."

"Not to be rough, but Kaitlyn is the one girl in this school that hasn't dated ever before. She's too tough for anyone to stand. She doesn't just play hard to get, she basically is waiting for one guy, no one else. No guy has successfully managed to get her to date them. She can find something bad in every guy she meets, even if she doesn't act like she knows."

Pit watched as she and the girls walked past, moving into one of the classrooms. She had a beautiful walk, one causing her to look as though she were flying. "But she's fantastic."

Mark sighed. "I know, dude, every guy does. But no one has managed to catch her yet. So you'll just have to manage dating someone else. Come on, we have Spanish class."

"But what's dating! Dates are sweet fruits! How do you fruit someone?"

* * *

><p>Pit was having the hardest time understanding the Spanish teacher. Heck, Pit wasn't even sure what the crud Spanish was. All he knew was that the eccentric teacher in front of the class was talking about nouns, verbs, and weird words for classroom objects. Such as <em>el globa<em> was for the strange sphere on the table that apparently was the world. And the map on the wall was now suddenly known as _el mapa_. Basically everything in the room had been named, apparently most of the words had had an 'a' or 'o' sound to the end of them.

The teacher spent almost a half an hour jumping around the room and pointing at random objects while the students called out the name for them. But…Pit was pretty sure the books were called 'books' and not _libros_ and pencils were called 'pencils' not _el lapis_. Maybe it was some sort of code. Pit tried to learn as well as he could out of his _libros_, but he was having a hard time.

The Spanish teacher was so different from Ms. Harpline that Pit was amazed that they even worked in the same building with one another. Mr. Gartina was a wild man in his late twenties. His black hair stuck out in all directions on the top of his head. He wore a pair of thick rimmed glasses that only slightly concealed his eyes, which looked so crazy that Pit wasn't sure how the man fell asleep at night. He was thin and wiry, his clothes constantly wrinkled and on the slim side. The man was tall and talked quite loudly, so loudly that Pit was sure the people in the next room could have repeated his dictations word for word.

"And now," he said with an insanely wide smile, "to see what you've learned today, we'll have a small pop quiz!"

Pit wasn't sure why everyone in the room groaned. What was a pop quiz? Was it bad? Was it like being punished? What had the class done wrong and why was Mr. Gartina smiling? Did he enjoy torturing teenagers? Pit gripped the side of his desk in suspense.

Pit was surprised to find that the 'pop quiz', was not as bad as his imagination had told him. It was like a test. What was so bad about that? Tests were good! They made sure you knew what you were doing. Well, Pit was used to fighting tests and things like that. But hey, paper writing tests seemed easier.

He sped through the test, literally. He remembered every single word Mr. Gartina had said about the different school objects and Pit wrote them all down under their specific areas. The only thing he was surprised about was that he finished first. He walked up to Mr. Gartina and handed the paper to him before turning around and heading back to his desk. He looked back up and watched as the teacher's face went from his normal crazy expression to one of confusion. He slowly walked over to Pit, laying the test down in front of him. He bent over and whispered, "Please see me after class, Pit."

Pit felt his chest constrict. What had he done wrong? Had he failed the test so badly that he had failed school completely? Would he have to go home? Would Jenny have to kick him out? Was he seriously that big of a failure? His mind raced with worry and anxiety.

Then, as if time had simply sped by, the bell rang. Pit wasn't sure if time had really gone by that fast, or if the test had almost been over as is. But that didn't change the feeling inside of his chest. Mark gently touched his shoulder in support as he left for his next class. Pit gave him a weak smile in return.

As soon as the class had filed out, the once noisy classroom was strangely silent. Pit could hear the muffled sounds of the loud hallway though the walls and closed door, but it was still quiet enough to hear the breezy winds as they flitted by the window through the trees outside.

"Pit?"

Pit snapped from his thoughts and stood up, grabbing his books from in front of him and walking over to Mr. Gartina's desk. He tried desperately to keep his face free of expression, but it didn't work.

Mr. Gartina looked up at Pit, his wild eyes slightly confused, as he held out the test to Pit. Pit took it and scanned the paper. He inspected it closely, but it looked perfectly normal. And all of the words looked right to him. He looked at Mr. Gartina quizzically, not sure what was wrong.

Mr. Gartina took the paper back and pointed to one, the one with the picture of the sphere. "What does this say?"

Pit looked at it for a split second. "El globa, right? That's what I wrote."

The young man stood up and grabbed a short white pole-like thing that Pit remembered he had used earlier to make marks and write on a huge white board. He did the same thing now. Pit watched as he wrote two things on the board. The first was made of a bunch of what Pit guessed were words. He recognized them slightly as the same type of symbols that the principal had put on the chart he had given Pit. Then Mr. Gartina wrote what Pit had written on his test. Instantly, Pit knew what they meant. _El globa_. At least, that was what the sounds formed. Ελ γλωβα.

Mr. Gartina pointed to the one Pit had no idea about. "Pit, in English, we write like this. This is the English writing of 'el globa'," he turned to the writing Pit understood, "Pit, what you've written here looks very similar to Ancient Greek." He handed the maker to Pit. "Here, write your name, then mine."

Pit took the tube thing and wrote on the board. Πιτ, Μιστερ Γαρτηνα'.

Mr. Gartina watched with silent curiosity. After Pit had finished and had handed back the marker, Mr. Gartina smiled slightly. "You are a very unusual teenager, Pit. I can't teach you Spanish."

Pit felt his heart drop. "You mean I failed?"

Mr. Gartina smiled. "No, I just think you'd be more comfortable somewhere else, with a language that you seem to be a little more used to."

**So…Pit can understand English when it is spoken, but not written. He is going to have a dang confusing time at school! But I am going to enjoy this! So…what do you all think of Mark? I based him off of one of my friends at school, just _she_ is not as crazy about the opposite gender as Mark is. And then there's Kaitlyn…we'll see how that relationship goes soon enough . **

**So…anyone know Ancient Greek out there? I'm learning it next year, but I have the alphabet and I know that it's fully based off of sounds, not like English. So when Pit wrote Mr. Gartina's name, the translation would look like "Mister Gartenah", because the original 'i' made a long 'e' sound, so I had to use an eta, the Greek symbol for the long 'e' sound. **

**So tell me what you all thought of this chapter. I might write more in Ancient Greek later on. And believe me, Mark and Kaitlyn will be back. Tell me what you think of them!**

**~pixeljam**


	8. Angel of Music

**Heh, I know this sounds so stupid, but it took me this long to figure out that you can make lines in between the sections of my story, so sorry for the confusion about when one section ends and one begins! So...oops! (P.S. I just went back and redid all the lining, so now, hopefully, everything makes sense!)**

**I am _soooooooooooooo_ sorry it took me this long to post! I've not only been busy, but also my little sister (*cough, cough*) begging me to write something else, mostly by poking me until I do! Bad little sister! Anyhow, this is the next section, and please tell me what you think. Also, for all of you who think I've actually been writing in Ancient Greek, I haven't. I've only been using English words and using Greek symbols in place of them, using the sounds only. So if you want to translate, find out what the Greek letters sound like and piece together the sounds. Thanks!**

**For all of you who have given me ideas for Dark Pit's new name, thank you so much! My sister and I have a three way tie and we need people to tell us what you think! First, is ApostolicShadowNinjaGirl's suggestion, Appolyon (that you soooooo much for that suggestion! It made it into the final three!) I really like this one, and my friends at school seem to like it too. Second, is my sister's personal favorite, Kuro (the first part of his original Japanese name). She's been begging me to use it! Lastly, the one that I like, Tenebris (which means darkness in some language. My friend emailed me and gave me like...ten suggestions). **

**So, PM me and tell me which one you like! I need all the help I can get. The fight is on!**

"You got into Advanced Greek?" Mark stared at Pit in amazement, "_No one_ jumps straight into Mr. Laurel's class, _ever_."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," Pit said teasingly. He quickly put the sandwich that Jenny had made him in his mouth. Peanut butter and jelly, she had called it. Well, it tasted good, anyhow. But he was still a little confused about the word 'sandwich'. There was no sand in the bread as far as he could tell, unless it had been ground down extremely finely. And…witches…he wasn't positive, but he was still quite sure that there were no witches in the school. So…why was he eating a sand-witch? He sighed and took another bite. He would never understand humans and their naming of objects.

"So," he mumbled through his mouthful of peanut butter and jelly, "what do we have next? After lunch, I mean."

Mark bit into a huge honey crisp apple. "P.E."

Pit stopped chewing and looked to Mark in confusion. "Huh?"

"You know, Physical Education."

"Physical…Education?"

Mark set down his apple and stared at Pit. "Hey, Pit, where did you come from?"

Pit bit his lower lip. He had been dreading this question. Jenny had said to act normal, like a human, and to be honest and open. But Pit was sure that answering truthfully was going to make him much less human like. He sucked in a breath. "Um…from a small town in―" he tried desperately to remember any of the states he had seen on the large map in Jenny's room, "―Massachusetts." Crap, why did he say that? He had no idea what the heck Massachusetts was like!

But apparently Mark did. He took another bite of his apple, apparently satisfied with the answer. "Ah, East Coast area. When did you move to the Windy City?"

Pit guessed that Chicago was the 'Windy City'. At least he hoped that was true. "Um, about a week ago."

"Geez, this must seem pretty different to you, then, huh?"

Pit could think of no answer to this question, so he simply nodded. Mark took another bite of his apple, which seemed to Pit that he found the answer satisfactory. "Anyways, you were asking about P.E., right? It's like running around and playing sports and stuff like that."

Pit was about to ask if they played airball, but he realized that with a lack of wings, playing his favorite game was slightly more difficult. So what sports did humans play, if airball was out of the question?

* * *

><p>"I'm not exactly sure what to do with this."<p>

Mark snorted. "Pit, you are sincerely weird if you don't know what a jump rope is."

Pit smiled slightly. "Well, I've been noticing that a lot lately." In his hands was a long rope, each holding an end. All his other classmates had similar ropes, but they looked more comfortable holding them.

"Here, watch me." Mark swung the rope over his head and jumped over the thin moving cord. He repeated this over and quickly, the rope soon a blur. Pit watched in quiet fascination. It didn't look too difficult.

The P.E. teacher was a big burly man that looked as though he could be in the age range of anywhere from thirty to sixty. He was quite short though, which didn't seem right to Pit. With his huge, muscled arms and his crew cut hair, he looked as though he should be at least six and half feet tall. But he looked as though he barely cleared five feet at the least. But apparently his lack of height didn't change his vocal range.

"KARPER! STAND UP STRAIGHT!"

Mark immediately straightened his shoulders and looked straight ahead, his eyes gaining and almost glassy look. The short P.E. teacher strutted along the line of students, shouting to each of them about what they were doing wrong. Pit suddenly had a sickening image enter his mind of Medusa when she was pretending to be Palutena, when she had been walking up and down the lines of the angel guard and yelling at them.

"And who might you be, soldier?"

Pit jerked from his memory and looked to the short man who was right up in his face, his hard jaw set tightly. Pit immediately stood straight up and saluted to the man as though he were back in the Centurion's Army with Palutena. "Pit Shoner, reporting for duty, sir!"

The P.E. teacher glared hard at Pit, but Pit could sense something in his hard eyes softening. "At ease, Shoner. Your salute is splendid and I commemorate you for recognizing the higher power in this situation." He turned back and yelled to the line of people, "Now if all you yellow-bellied sapsuckers would realize that, maybe we could actually get somewhere in this class!" He turned back to Pit, his dark eyes gleaming, "Here are the rules for you, soldier. My name is Mr. Goldburg. You do not speak unless spoken to. You follow my every direction precisely to the word. You will come to class exactly on time or earlier unless for a very good reason. I expect we'll whip you into shape fast enough. Do you understand me?"

Pit saluted again, keeping back a smile. "Sir, yes, sir!"

The short gruff man nodded. "I like your enthusiasm." He turned away from Pit and walked up the line. "Now today, we will be having a little contest. You will jump rope for as long as you can. When you cannot go on, you will stop. The last person standing picks the next unit we will do in this class. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" The class ran out in unison.

"Then BEGIN!"

Pit immediately copied what he had seen Mark do. He realized after about two swings that this was not nearly as hard as he had initially imagined. It was really quite easy. But why just jump? He began to skip, smiling down at his feet. This was easy, even in a cast where he couldn't move his left arm!

He quickly threw himself into a range of different patterns. He crossed his arms sometimes, leading in a cool pattern of the rope for him to jump through. Once, he jumped much higher and span the rope as fast as he could beneath him: he managed to get the rope beneath him four times before landing. He jumped in a circle, spinning the rope with one arm over his head and the other around his waist.

Pit gradually returned to just jumping. He observed the others around him. Most of the class had stopped. All of them had sweat beading down them and were panting heavily. But two others still remained with him: a tall girl with pin straight black hair, and Kaitlyn.

But Pit could tell the two girls were struggling. They too bore the signs of exhaustion. Pit couldn't figure out why, unless it was just because they were humans and he was an angel. _Humans must tire out quickly_, Pit decided. He barely felt tired at all as he continued to jump.

The tall girl soon dropped out, leaving Pit and Kaitlyn. Pit almost felt bad about going against her. He suddenly felt guilty about his angelic powers. Was he cheating because he was different from all of those humans? But before he could contemplate the consequences of his powers, Kaitlyn stopped jumping.

The room was quiet: silent, even. The crowd of classmates watched him almost eerily. Pit felt his cheeks flush. Had he done something wrong, other than beat Kaitlyn? Pit turned to her and couldn't help but watch. She was bent over, breathing hard and clutching her stomach. Sweat poured from her face to the floor. But she was smiling. After a few seconds, she stood back up straight and walked over to Pit, holding out her hand. "Good job."

Pit took it with his hurt arm and dipped his head courteously. "Thank you. You did well, too."

She gave a ghost of a smile, then turned and walked away, leaving Pit alone. A gentle scent wreathed around him. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He immediately picked up the faint smell of lilies and roses. He sighed quietly, watching as her blond ringlets bounced up and down as she walked away.

* * *

><p>"So…how was your day today?"<p>

Pit's head shot straight in the air with his grin. "Great! Only…I found out that I can only write in Ancient Greek, whatever that is. And I beat everyone at jump roping, which is awesome, by the way. Oh, and I met a new friend today; his name is Mark and he's cool and all, but he's a little…how do you say…? Eccentric? But he's awesome anyhow. And all my teachers are great, but Ms. Harpline is really strict and I don't think she can play the harp, even though her name implies it, kind of. And I found out that I can play three instruments!" He said all this extremely quickly, and was almost out of breath by the time he was done.

"And what are those?" Jenny asked, before Pit could get back on a roll again. She drove smoothly as she listened with silent happiness to Pit's words. It seemed she had been wrong to be worried about Pit's attitude. For at that moment, Pit went on into a very detailed synopsis about the violin, the cello, and the harp and how he could somehow play all of them and could read the notes when he hadn't ever really tried before and couldn't figure out where he had ever learned.

"Jenny?" he asked, finally finishing and taking a few breaths, "Is it normal for people to suddenly find talents that they didn't know they had before?"

Jenny turned another corner. "Sure, Pit, people find out they're good at something they never tried before all the time."

Pit's grin became all the wider. "Great! Because I'm in Advanced Greek, Orchestra five, and I'm the one who's supposed to pick the next study in P.E. because I won at jump roping."

Jenny had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. Pit was sincerely one of the funniest kids she had ever met, and he seemed fine with being himself. Jenny smiled widely. It was too bad that most teenagers were not like Pit. She had met enough sullen and dark minded teenagers to last her a lifetime, but she could meet kids like Pit all day!

"Where are we going?" Pit asked finally, noticing the unfamiliar territory around the car.

"The mall. You need more clothes."

Pit shrugged and smiled again. "Okay…so…what's a mall?"

* * *

><p>Pit walked into the Ancient Greek class the next day feeling like a breeze on a cold day, absolutely refreshed and totally ready for the day. He was slightly sad that Mark was still taking Spanish, so they couldn't be together during that period, but that could do nothing to dampen Pit's excitement. He felt the feathers on his wings ruffle slightly in anticipation.<p>

The man that greeted Pit terrified him.

He was tall and dark and his green eyes sparkled coldly. He didn't hold out a hand to shake like the other teachers had. He eyed Pit up and down with inspecting eyes, his eyes laying on the blue cast on Pit's left arm and narrowing. His lip curled slightly as though he thought the physical impairment would prevent Pit from learning his own language. Pit stiffened angrily. He could learn!

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shoner," he said with a warmth that didn't match his cold eyes. "My name is Mr. Laurel." His eyes almost seemed to fill in the missing words, telling Pit "…so this is the student who thinks he can just walk into my class with no previous schooling and master Greek…"

Pit dipped his had respectfully. "The pleasure is all mine. Where would you like me to sit, sir?"

The man pointed to the back of the room. "In the back, by Ms. Dufrene, if you will."

Pit hurried to the only open desk. He slid in and took out his books, laying them neatly on the flat surface in front of him. Unlike the Spanish room, this one was very drab and had very little in it. The walls were painted grey, a very boring color to Pit, even though he realized he was wearing it. He and Jenny had gone to the mall, which looked to Pit like it was just a building with a bunch of stores in it, and had gotten him a bunch of clothes. He was now wearing a grey t-shirt with a design that looked to be in the shape of feathers printed on the front, a pair of dark blue pants that Pit had learned were called 'jeans', and his white shoes. He gently ruffled his hair with his hand as he waited for class to start.

"Hey, can I borrow a pencil?"

Pit vaguely remembered Mark asking him this same thing only the day before, but the voice was obviously different: smooth and feminine. But that didn't mean he did not recognize it.

Pit whipped his head around, coming face to face with a set of blond ringlets. He recognized that face easily. The sweet and smooth voice barely matched the steely green eyes. But it was obviously she who had spoken, for no one else was looking at him.

"Sure!" Pit said cheerfully, reaching into his pencil bag and grabbing the first pencil he saw. He handed it to Kaitlyn, who immediately began writing with it, turning away from Pit without another word. Pit shrugged apathetically and waited as he had been before for the class to start.

Pit watched as Mr. Laurel immediately began writing on the board with the thin tube. The letters he put up were easily recognizable to Pit, who read the words with ease. He frowned. Αβσωλυτλη ηω σλακινγ ιη τ'ις κλας…Γετ του 'ορκ, Φλυτερ Βοι!

He pinched up his face. Flutter Boy? Where did that name come from? Pit automatically knew that this was somehow for him…but…Flutter Boy? What the heck was up with that? Flutter? A sudden though struck him. He glanced back casually behind him, looking to his backside. Nope, his wings were still covered, not a feather showing. So…where did that name come from?

He shot his hand into the air. "It says, 'Absolutely no slacking in this class...'" he lowered his voice slightly, "'Get to work, Flutter Boy'." He lowered his eyes slightly, feeling a flush creep up his cheeks as the whole class turned to him.

He looked back up to see Mr. Laurel directly in front of him, looking down with a face free of any expression. The man stared at him with his blank green eyes. "Tell me, lad," he said quietly, "how old are you?"

Pit swallowed, hard. "Fifteen, sir."

"And are you fluent in Greek?"

Pit shrugged. "I can read and write easily in Ancient Greek, as I found out yesterday. I didn't know I could."

The man's eyebrows came together tightly. And as if Pit's words did not mean a thing to him, he turned away and began talking about the symbols on the board that created the Greek language to the rest of the class.

"How did you translate that so fast?"

Pit turned to Kaitlyn, who was staring at him with wide eyed curiosity, unlike her earlier disinterest. Her green eyes gleamed with attention.

Pit shrugged. "I can read Greek easily. It just comes naturally to me."

Kaitlyn's face broke into a half grin that made her fabulous looks become almost sloppy and roguish. "Lucky. This is the hardest class I've ever had to take, and I'm not even an upper classman yet!"

Pit shrugged again. "If you want, I can teach you a few things. I may not know how I learned Greek, but that doesn't mean I can't do it!"

Kaitlyn's face immediately changed from open and curious to closed and slightly secluded. She eyes him with an air of distrust. "I don't know…" she started, turning away from Pit looking slightly confused.

"Think about it," he said hurriedly, not wanting to miss the opportunity of meeting a new friend, "You don't have to answer right away. Come back and tell me tomorrow."

Kaitlyn nodded slightly and turned her attention back on Mr. Laurel. Pit did the same, sighing inwardly. It was strange how hard it was to made friends on earth. All the angels in the Skyworld seemed to have wanted to be his friend. So, why was this so different and why were so many humans mean and distrusting? Was there no one in this world that everyone could fully trust with their whole heart? Pit's thoughts wandered to Palutena, as they normally did. The image of her made the feathers on his wings flare ever so slightly. He glared at his back, forcing the feathers to stay flat. _Come on, wings! Grow!_

**So tell me what you think of all this! I'm writing the next chapter as fast as I can, but I need help with Dark Pit's name to actually do the first scene so help me out here! Thanks for reading! **

**~pixeljam**


	9. Prince of Shadows

**I am so sorry that this has taken to long to write! It is by far my longest chapter, but I needed to do a lot in it! So thank you all for sticking through with me and waiting so patiently as I wrote more! I really appreciate it!****  
><strong>

**Thank you all who submitted votes for Dark Pit's new name! Part of the reason for my long waiting period was to get feedback on his new name, and thank you all who did! It meant a lot to me!  
><strong>

**So, I hope you enjoy this! I hope it is okay writing. I feel like I got kind of sloppy at the end, but I didn't have much time left! So especially enjoy the parts about Dark Pit's mindset! His point of view was so much fun to write!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"What do you mean Pit's alive?" The snakes on Medusa's head spat globules of venom from their small, sharp mouths. Medusa's face was contorted tightly in an expression that could only be described as pure rage. Dark Pit almost turned away from her terrifying face. Almost.<p>

He instead dipped his head in a sign of respect, his kneeling position causing him to feel very small indeed. "I mean every word that I say, my Queen."

Medusa slammed back down into her throne of lava rock, molten fire still flowing in the deepest veins of the stone, causing a very slightly glow in the darkness. The brightness, though very small, caused her face to be lit, the harsh edges of her jaws becoming even more prominent. The fire almost made her skin look human. "You had better have a very good reason for this suspicion," Medusa said through clenched teeth.

Dark Pit dipped his head once again. "Pit and I, though I may hate to say it, have a connection with one another. If he had died, my own self would have felt something, a deep clenching in my spirit. But I know he is alive."

Medusa's long fingernails clicked on the arm of her throne as she mused over the information with pinched lips and half-closed eyes. The snakes hissed quietly as they eyes Dark Pit with their dark, beady eyes. "If what you have told me is true, Dark Pit, then you have done me a great service," she suddenly stood, "If we wait long enough for Pit's wings to grow, then he may return to us and indeed rescue his Goddess." She walked forwards, about to pass Dark Pit, but stopped suddenly and drew her long, icy cold fingers along his cheek. It took all of Dark Pit's self-control to not whip away from her and snarl like a feral dog.

"You have done well, my Commander," she cooed in a voice that was as sweet and deadly as poisoned honey, "I thought when you first came to me that you might betray me in the end. But you have done well under my control. And soon, you will not have to bear the burden of Pit's existence. Soon, you will be independent of the trash that binds you. You will be alone." She withdrew her hand from Dark Pit and walked out of Palutena's Temple and into Angel Land.

Dark Pit stuck out his tongue in disgust after the monstrous woman. It was time like these that made him question if he even wanted to be a part of Medusa's army. But Medusa had created him. He had hoped that Medusa might have been able to make the nightmares go away, but so far, being close to her just made them worse.

He spread out his oily black wings and flew out to the Skyworld. The world looked very different from the happy, joyful place that Dark Pit had first snuck in. The desolate, bleak place was depressing. In fact, the only thing that Dark Pit liked about the change was the silence. His finely tuned ears were rather sensitive to loud noises. For a split second, he wondered if Pit's hearing was just as good.

Dark Pit landed on one of the islands, sitting on the edge and looking out to the open air only blocked by the dense Cloud Barrier. Why did Pit come up in his thoughts so much? Was it truly the connection they shared as reality and shadow?

Dark Pit looked bitterly outwards, resting his head in his hands. All his life, even if it had been short so far, he had been a shadow, a double, less than the original. He had been created to be better than Pit, to be a step up, to be the perfect side that Pit did not have. And yet Dark Pit was not considered to be better than his counterpart or even his own person: He was simply the clone.

But Medusa had promised that that would all change. As soon as his name was changed, he would be able to shake his past from his feathers, to put back his position as Pit's double. Dark Pit gently touched his face, feeling the smooth skin. And he frowned.

He leaped up and walked to one of the still working fountains. He leaned over the side and gazed at his reflection. His shoulders drooped slightly. He had been right: he even _looked_ like Pit. If he changed his hair color to brown, his toga and feathers to white, his eyes from red to blue, and changed his skin tone maybe a half a step down…he would _be_ Pit. Dark Pit shivered from his head to his toes. _That_ was a terrifying thought.

But some things about being Pit seemed to be alright. For one, he seemed to make friends wherever he went. All his friends in Angel Land seemed quite loyal to him, their fierce eyes cutting into Medusa whenever she walked by in anger of what she had done to not only their Goddess, but also their comrade. What made him so liked?

Dark Pit hurriedly shook himself from his thoughts and took to the sky. After tonight, if what Medusa said was true, all would be well again. He would be his own person, and he would have no more worries.

Dark Pit sighed. He hoped that was true. But he only hoped.

* * *

><p>"No, that's an eta, not iota."<p>

Kaitlyn sighed. "I'm never going to get this!"

"Sure you will!" Pit soothed. It had been almost a week since Kaitlyn had agreed to tutoring with Pit, and to being his friend. Pit felt his feathers fluff out ever so slightly. Kaitlyn had gone from being a very anti-social girl to being quite fun for Pit to hang around with. He smiled. He now had exactly two human friends his age! "Here, just try again. See, the iota looks like your letter 'i' and the eta looks like your letter 'e'. Does that help?"

Kaitlyn scrunched up her face slightly. "Um…a little."

"Hey guys!" Mark came into the almost empty lobby area, backpack in hand.

"Hey Mark!"

"What's up?"

"Nothing much!" Pit almost laughed, remembering the first time he had even heard that phrase. His initial answer had been, 'um…Angel Land, and the Skyworld, and birds, and the sky, and…is that all you need?' Jenny had had to explain that phrase to him more than once for him to understand.

"Good!" Mark said, "Hey, do you want a ride home? It's been raining like crazy out there and I know you walk most of the time. If you need a ride too, Kaitlyn, I can give you a lift too."

"Oh, no thank you!" Kaitlyn said hurriedly, "I have an umbrella. I can walk."

Mark shrugged. "Sure. How about you, Pit?"

"No thanks. I like the rain, but thanks for the offer."

Mark dipped his head. "Alright then! See you two tomorrow!"

"See you!" Pit called after his friend.

Kaitlyn hurriedly grabbed her books and tucked them under her arm. "Well, thanks for the help, Pit. I'll see you tomorrow." And without waiting for an acknowledgement from Pit, she left the room.

Pit sighed and grabbed his books as well. Kaitlyn, despite her opening up, was still rather mysterious. She refused to speak at all of her home, her family, or of anything in her personal life outside of school. But she had quickly become acquainted to Pit when they had started working together, and she and Mark had become good friends as well. Pit was glad. He had a sense that Kaitlyn needed more trustworthy friends.

Pit grabbed his homework from his locker and rushed outside. Mark had been right, as he usually was: the rain poured down outside the school. But he grabbed the small umbrella from his backpack and started to walk out into the misty grey oblivion. And while he walked, he wondered vaguely whether he should bring an umbrella back with him to the Skyworld.

The Skyworld. Pit fluffed his feathers. He had been gone from Angel Land for over a month now and he wondered now more than ever if he had grown at all. He shivered in excitement, though the chill from the rain might have had something to do with the movement as well. Maybe he had grown! The though was enough to cause him to race home in excitement.

Pit rushed up the street to the house. He had to restrain himself from bounding over the white picket fence, and resigned to walking through slowly, even closing the gate behind him. But as soon as the metal latch clicked back into place, Pit resumed his previous speed. He threw open the door and closed it shut behind him before a drop of rain could enter. He kicked off his white shoes and, carefully making sure that the windows of the house's curtains and blinds were closed before he stripped off his soaked jacket. His wings spread out slowly as they were released from their concealment. Pit moaned in content as he stretched them out from tip to tip, the muscles slowly relaxing as he sighed. He looked at the beautiful mass of feathers on either side of him. Were they bigger? Had they grown? There was only one way to find out.

Pit rushed into his room, closing the door behind him. He grabbed the stopwatch that Jenny had bought him, that lay by his bedside and flashed out his wings until they were in a comfortable position. He took a deep breath. Then, turning on the stopwatch, he jumped into the air.

Pit took a few seconds to steady himself into a comfortable hover, seeing as if he went any higher, his head would be touching the ceiling and if he went any lower, his feet would be brushing the ground. So right in the middle it was. His wings beat powerfully on either side of him, so powerfully that the objects on the wooden furniture in Pit's room bean sliding off onto the floor. Pit was sincerely glad that none of them were delicate or easily breakable, because everything was now slamming hard into the floor due to the miniature storm that had brewed inside the room. He was also aware of the sound that blasted through the room as the wing flowed with every stroke. He was glad his ears were not super sensitive, even if he could hear extraordinarily well.

Pit watched as the stopwatch ticked away the seconds. If he was right and his wings had indeed grown, he would be able to stay in the air for more than five minutes; he wasn't sure how much longer, but it would be over five minutes.

He whipped his head to the door as it opened slowly, the wood battling against the wind. But it eventually managed to push open, Jenny walking into the room. Her hands grabbed onto her hair which she had not yet pulled up into a ponytail and was flying in every direction. Her eyes squinted against the quickly moving air.

Pit smiled and waved. "I'm home!"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "I can see that!" She shouted above the roar of the wind, "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if I've grown or not! If I have, I'll be able to stay in the air for more than five minutes."

"And if you haven't?"

"Well…" Pit dropped his eyes to the stopwatch, which was not at four minutes, twenty eight seconds. He concentrated on the small device in the palm of his hand and slowly counted down the seconds.

It was exactly when the watch hit five that it happened. Immediately, the muscles in Pit's wings tightened. The powerful strokes came to a sudden stop as muscles cramped so badly, that the wings snapped tightly against Pit's back.

Pit slammed into the hardwood floor. He almost screamed in agony, every breath coming through clenched teeth "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!". Every muscle in his back felt as though it had been doused in oil and set on fire. He tried desperately to move the bones, to flare the feathers, but it was of no use. His wings were as good as useless.

Jenny rushed to Pit's side and helped him off the floor. "What happened?"

Pit groaned uncomfortably as he struggled to a standing position. "I guess I haven't grown yet," he said, utterly disappointed.

"What happened to your wings?"

Pit tried once again with great effort to move his wings, but to no avail. He dipped his head and sighed. "They're cramped up. They'll go back to normal in about an hour…they normally do." He sighed again. He was just so upset. He had been hoping desperately that his wings had grown, but he had been wrong.

Jenny gently grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, it'll be okay! You just need a little more time, that's all!"

Pit nodded bitterly, straining to keep the disappointed tears from flowing down his cheeks.

Jenny gently led him to the kitchen. "I've got something that'll cheer you up!"

Pit smiled slightly. "More chicken soup?"

"Nope. Something even better!"

Pit blinked in surprise. There was some kind of food out there that was better than chicken soup? Was that even possible?

Jenny grabbed a spoon and dipped it into a large round container. When she returned to Pit, the spoon was slathered with a creamy brown colored food. Pit gently took the spoon from her. "Are you sure this is better than chicken soup?" he asked with a half smile.

Jenny laughed. "If I could, I would eat this by the bucketful. Try it!"

Pit shrugged and shoved the spoon into his mouth, coating his tongue in the food. The flavor soaked deeply into his mouth, sweetness flowing into his taste-buds. His eyes widened and he felt his mouth smooth into a smile of delight. He let the creamy deliciousness melt into his mouth as he took out the spoon. When he realized there was more brown still on the spoon that his mouth had not yet attained, he hurriedly put it back in, again allow in the creamy food to melt into his mouth.

"So I take it that you like it," Jenny laughed as Pit nodded fiercely, humming out his yes because the spoon still in his mouth muffled any actual words, "It's called Nutella."

Pit pulled the spoon out of his mouth. "This stuff is fantastic! It's like eating…um…I can't think of anything that even looks like it could have this taste! It's so good!"

Jenny's smile grew wider. "Well, I now know two things you will eat: chicken noodle soup and Nutella."

Pit looked up at her with mock upset. "Not true! I like apples, and bananas, and hot dogs, and pizza, and…well, basically everything but eggplant and polenta. And kind of spinach, if it's cooked, but in a salad it's okay, and maybe some other things, like jalapenos, which nearly killed my throat, and hot sauce, which made me cry, and—."

"Okay, okay, I get the picture!" Jenny laughed.

* * *

><p>The temple that had once been Palutena's was now easily Medusa's. The elegant columns that were once rigid and straight had been warped by darkness. They twisted with a beauty that was seen when water twirled down from a small trickle of water, the shape of heated glass that had been left to gravity's work. The columns were beautiful, gorgeous even, but the jet black darkness that echoed from deep within was what made them repulsive and cold.<p>

Dark Pit brushed against the columns with his long, clever fingers, the glass like feeling of the warped marble smooth under his touch. He sighed gently. All would be well; that was what Medusa had promised. Dark Pit rolled his eyes. Why did he even trust the monster woman anyhow? Had she done anything that was worth his trust?

He breathed in again. She _had_ done something: she had given him a hope for a life, for his own being, not connected with Pit. He bit his lower lip. A nervous feeling was stuck in his heart, it had been there for over a week now. Would this whole name changing matter really split his connection with Pit? Would it do anything for him at all?

He wrapped the thin, dark cape tighter around himself as if for comfort. Medusa had told him to make himself impressive looking, noble almost. This did the trick quite well, so he thought. The cape fluttered in the barest of winds and floated as though in water. He almost twirled around in a circle to see how well it moved before he realized that to be feared and respected, fluttering around like a girl was not an option.

"Enter, my Commander!" The soft, poisonous voice flowed from the depths of the temple to Dark Pit, who still stood outside. He straightened his cape and almost decided to fix his hair slightly when he shrugged it off. He was fine. Everyone feared him anyways, so did his hair really matter? He moved his shoulders up and took a huge breath. This was it.

He slowly walked through the parted crowd of angels. They looked oddly out of place, a sea of white in such a dark building. But it made Dark Pit stand out all the more: his cape fluttered as he walked up to Medusa's throne. He stared straight ahead, ignoring the hard glares coming from the angels around him. He didn't care what they thought. They were just jealous of the attention he was given by Medusa.

Medusa's hair was, for once, silent. The snakes watched Dark Pit come up the isle, their tongues flicking out quietly. Dark Pit ignored them as well, focusing only on the slit-like eyes of Medusa.

Her lips were twisted in a smile. Her eyes glinted like the bronze feathers of an eagle in the sunlight. Dark Pit couldn't remember the last time he had seen sunlight: clouds overtook the sun when Medusa had begun her reign of the Skyworld. The sky had been overcast since then.

Dark Pit stopped in front of Medusa and knelt down before her, his eyes facing towards the ground. He felt almost weak doing so. He was in a position of easy vulnerability. But if what Medusa said would happen actually came true, this would be worth it.

He almost flinched as Medusa's hand touched his head. Her fingertips felt like spears of ice on his scalp, causing all of his hair to stand on end. Her touch may have been meant to be gentle, but to Dark Pit, it was the feeling of unease.

"Dark Pit," her voice flowed like a stream of oily water, "You are among my most trusted angels. When you came to me wanting to join my army and overtake Angel Land and the whole of the Skyworld, I did not trust you. I was sure you were to betray me. But you have done splendidly. That is why today, I not only name you, but I coronate you as my prince!"

Goosebumps flooded Dark Pit's body. This wasn't part of the plan! But before he could say anything or even raise himself to his feet, he felt Medusa's long fingers gently slide his laurel wreath off his head and slip on a cool band. He reached up and gently felt it. It was as smooth as glass.

"I name you Kuro, my prince of chaos, ruler over the darkness of my hand. You are now the prince of the skies, and the commander of my army. Rise!"

Kuro shot to his feet, looking up at Medusa. He felt numb all over. He was…a prince. Medusa took his shoulders and whirled him around to face the crowd. He felt shivers run up his spine.

"Now," Medusa whispered in a deadly voice in his ear, "you will meet the army that I have created for you to rule over." Kuro opened his mouth to speak, to tell her that she had no need for a new army, but no words would come from his numb throat.

Medusa raised her staff and whispered a word so filled with power, Kuro's very heart stopped a beat. He could only watch as she cut her staff through the air over the crowd of angels.

It was as though the angels were suddenly being tortured. They screamed and tore at themselves as they tried to rid themselves of their pain. Others fell to the ground writhing in agony. Kuro felt his heart race, his hands trembling. What was happening?

It happened to a female angel in the front row first. A horrible tearing sound, one that was not unlike the ripping of a piece of cloth, erupted from her, but not from her mouth or anywhere else. A dark shadow appeared from her back, trying desperately to rip itself from her. It writhed as badly as she, yet with more tearing and screaming, it pulled itself from her and stood over her now still body.

Kuro felt his breath stop. In front of him was an exact double of the girl, but where the girl angel had had malt blond hair with blond streaks, this one had oily black, the streaks now being red. The shadow's eyes gleamed with darkness, her skin tanned with earth. Everything about her was exactly like the original angel's, but made dark instead of light.

Kuro stared at the shadow angel. This is what had happened to him! Medusa was making shadow copies of all the angels! And slowly but surely, all of the light angels fell to the ground, each leaving behind a shadow angel in their place. The angels eyes looked blank as they inspected their surroundings for the first time. The room that had once looked so out of place with a crowd of white now looked perfectly normal.

Kuro stared horrified at the room. Medusa hadn't told him of this! No! This was wrong! What was she doing?

Medusa's voice rang out through the silent temple. "Go, my army! Go and destroy Pit!" The shadow angels needed no further instruction. They spread their dark wings and flew from the temple in a flash of feathers.

Before Medusa could stop him, Kuro threw himself after them as well, but turned sharply from their path as soon as he hit the open air. He flew over the decimated land to the fountain he had looked in only earlier that day. He nearly fell as he landed, but straightened himself and held tightly to the edge of the fountain.

He stared at himself, wiping the streaming tears from his face. He tore the crown from his head and looked at it. It was indeed made from molded black glass, the center of the circlet nearly glowing with bright red glass. In the front was a large ruby, inset into the glass.

Kuro felt more tears flow down his hot cheeks. He nearly slammed the crown onto the marble edge of the fountain, but restrained himself at the last moment. Instead, he leaned against the edge of the fountain and slid down until he sat, holding the crown tightly in his fist.

He had wanted none of that, except for the name. He was Dark Pit no longer. He was Kuro, prince of Medusa's Skyworld. He tightened his grip around the crown. Prince…he was nothing of the sort. At least not to him.

And the shadows…Kuro shivered again. All of them, all of the newly born angels of darkness, would have to deal with never being their own self, always struggling with the knowledge that they were created, not born. Kuro winced. He wanted no one to go through what he would eternally have to bear: the burden of never having the choice of who to be. The thought was enough to make Kuro's tears heavier.

He knew he was alone. He knew no one could see him. So he buried his face in his arms and cried.

**(*sniff, sniff*). Okay, that part was sad to write! It took me a white to come up with this, but it all seemed to work out! Thank you so much to Dragonguy54321 who gave me the idea for Pit's love for Nutella, which my sister and I crack up at every time we think about! **

**I'm really enjoying working with Kuro, which, yes, won the contest. My sister is extremely happy with all of you who voted for that name. So...now I just have to come up with what happens next, but I'm not totally unprepared. I've got some ideas up my sleeve!  
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**Thanks for reading! School's almost over, so I'll have a whole summer for ideas! Thank you all so much! PM me if you have any ideas and as always, keep reviewing!  
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**~pj  
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	10. Molting

**Yay, I updated! WHOOHOO! I had to brainstorm a lot on this one (now I have to do even more for the next chapter (*sadness*)). But that's okay! I'm just glad I got up this chapter! I'm really excited for the next one!**

**Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing! I love getting a new email ever day that says "Oh, this person sent you a review!" YAY! Thanks to all of you who have been following me and keeping up with the story! As always, it means a lot to me!  
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Pit awoke to the most comfortable feeling. He could feel the feathers on his wings wrapped loosely around him, the fluff curling around his arms and gently tickling his face. He let them spread over his arm, newly out if his cast. He loved having his full range of motion back. The feathers fluffed gently over his eyes. Was that what had woken him up, the gentle delight of soft calm feeling around his nose? He smiled, his eyes still closed and, flipped over onto his stomach, feeling more feathers around him. Wait…was that one on his head? And, another one at his feet? His wings weren't_ that _large.

He opened his eyes and looked around. He sat up and slowly raised his wings. "Oh my gosh!"

"JENNY!"`

Jenny woke up to a person shaking her shoulder roughly. She groaned and rubbed her tired eyes, looking up to Pit, who looked stricken with fear.

"Pit?" She was instantly awake, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Pit shoved a small cardboard box under her nose. "This is what's wrong, Jenny! Look! It's a catastrophe!"

Jenny hurriedly opened the box. It was filled to the brim with pure-white feathers. She pawed through them, but there was nothing else, nothing the feathers were padding. She looked confused at him. "What? They're just feathers."

"That's just it! My wings are losing their feathers!"

Exhaustion slammed back into Jenny, a groan escaping her lips. That was the problem, something like that? "Pit…is this really the time? It's 2 o'clock in the morning. Can't we talk at breakfast?"

Pit gaped. "What do you mean? This is a nightmare! I have pink spots on my wings! It's like cancer! I bet I have a fever! I'm sick or something! Jenny, get me some glue so I can start gluing them back on! I—."

"Pit!" Jenny sighed, sitting up and grabbing a handful of feathers, "Calm down! You're just molting."

Pit stopped. "What the heck is 'molting'?"

Jenny groaned and laid back down. "Go and grab a book on birds in the study room and read the section on growing."

"But…but…"

"Pit, I have work tomorrow. Please let me sleep."

Pit bit his lower lip. "Are you sure about this?"

Jenny sat up again and smiled. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Well…no," Pit shrugged slightly.

"Good," she smiled, settling back down, "Now go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." She closed her eyes, peace overwhelming her again. _Finally_, she thought sluggishly, _now for sleep_.

"Um…Jenny?"

She groaned slightly. _Really?_ "Yes, Pit?"

"Do I still have to go to school tomorrow?"

Jenny smiled ever so slightly in her comfort. "Yes."

"Really? Do I—."

"Pit…"

"Good night, Jenny." Jenny's smile widened slightly. Slow padded footsteps slowly became quieter and quieter as they left the room. The slow creak of the door hit her ears and then became silent. _Good night_.

* * *

><p>"Shoner, you are quite the marksman!"<p>

Pit smiled as he released his arrow. He, again, shot directly in the middle of the bulls-eye, as he had the past seven times he had shot. He let down his bow and nodded to Mr. Goldburg. "Thank you, sir."

Mr. Goldburg walked up and down the row of students who stood perfectly in a line. "Now, soldiers, Shoner here has perfect form. Watch again as he demonstrates how he shoots a perfect shot."

Pit nodded and pulled out another arrow from his quiver. The bow was different from his bow back at home, having been made of plastic instead of metal, and it was lighter. But Pit had been shooting arrows for as long as he could remember.

Pit held up his bow so he was looking straight down the line of the arrow and his elbow pointed straight back behind him, not too high or low. He closed one eye and took a breath, then, before he could barely think, the arrow flew from his fingertips and straight into the bulls-eye.

Mr. Goldburg nodded in respect. "Good work, Shoner," he turned to the group, a gleam in his eyes, "Now if all you butterfly-stomached worm handlers would pay more attention, maybe you might actually get somewhere in this class! Start shooting!"

* * *

><p>"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Mark asked, his eyes and hushed voice betraying his awe.<p>

Pit shrugged. "I can't really remember. I've just been doing archery for…basically forever."

"Lucky," Kaitlyn said, "It sounds like such a cool skill to have! Now, if we ever get around to rifles and stuff like that, I'm so there!"

"Remind me not to come near that class when we start shooting guns," Mark said, "I value my head!"

Kaitlyn whacked him with her messenger bag. "I can shoot quite well, thank you! Now, remind me to not come to the class that we do gymnastics in! I prefer to see you alive!"

"Really? That's so sweet!"

"Shut up, loser!"

Pit rolled his eyes as the two bickered. Mark had told him that girls often argued with guys they liked. Pit wasn't sure why that was. Why would you argue with someone you liked? It was seriously counter-intuitive. And he didn't get the feeling that Kaitlyn liked Mark in the way Mark was talking about. Kaitlyn liked to defend her points and herself. She just got into arguments quickly.

Mark was sporting a sore scalp by the time the trio had to split up for language classes. Pit and Kaitlyn continued onwards to Greek and quickly took their places at the back of the class.

Mr. Laurel had given Pit a set of new assignments separate from the rest of the class, seeing as he was far ahead of the rest of the class. Most of the new assignments were at home projects, making models of the Parthenon and the Library at Alexandria and other such things. But today was like most other days: quick translation.

Pit picked up the long note written in the flowing hand of Mr. Laurel. He was supposed to read it, then at the end of class, pronounce the words correctly and then translate it for Mr. Laurel. Most of the assignments were from old literature, but Pit could immediately tell that this was not poetry. The words were not nearly beautiful enough. And the translation was too real and too strange for it to be from a long time ago.

Pit Shoner, (it read),

I wrote this in Greek so only you could understand it. None of the other students have the talent necessary to read this. You, on the other hand, walk into this school not knowing the basics of English, but being fluent in Greek in writing.

I know why you speak English and write and read Greek.

I know who you are, angel boy. You may think that a set of human clothes can conceal who you are, but I know better. You are indeed a fallen angel from the Skyworld.

Want to know how I know?

We'll talk after school when fall break starts. Meet me here in the classroom in two weeks.

Mr. Laurel

Pit nearly fell out of his chair as he read and reread the page over and over again. _He knows_, Pit gaped, _he knows I'm an angel! And he knows about the Skyworld! But…how? How?_ He hurriedly turned around, gazing at his back. Nope, his feathers were all still covered. Even with his molting, his feathers had stayed on quite well. Pit usually could feel the feathers fall off his wings and was there to catch each one as they fell. He had placed a small box in his locker which was currently filled with feathers. But none had fallen since lunch, so…how did Mr. Laurel know?

* * *

><p>Kuro slid in and out of the shadows of the deep caverns. Every time an Underworld monster passed him by, he would simply press himself against the slimy stone walls of the tunnels and wait patiently for the monster to pass so he could continue on. He hated this place. It reminded him way too much of the Underworld.<p>

Medusa had created these caverns directly beneath Palutena's Temple A.K.A Medusa's Temple for the dungeon area. Medusa had designed it to look like the Underworld. _And she did a dang good job, too_, Kuro thought as he slid away from another monster. He felt pity for anyone who had to stay down here. And that was why he was there in the first place.

He slid behind pole as he made a turn down a slightly lighter tunnel. He knew the drill. The only way he was going to find her was by following the light. It sounded like some sort of proverb. "Follow the light and you will find what you are seeking." He shrugged. It was kind of catchy!

As he walked slowly down the tunnel, Kuro thought about what he was going to say. She would be furious, of course. And probably she would tell him that he had his chance and he failed. And she would also tell him that he was worthless and didn't deserve to live. Kuro winced. Was he even doing the right thing, coming down here? Would he even be able to handle the hateful words she would spew at him?

Kuro slowly walked into the last room. It seemed as though Medusa had stuck her prisoner in the deepest of caverns, to try and dampen her spirit. But it seemed to have done nothing.

Palutena sat with her back against the stone wall of her cell. Her eyes were shut, as though sleeping. But her glow shone light in the dark, bringing golden light to the darkest corners of the room her cage was in. Either her power was slowly returning, or she simply felt better. Many of the bruises she had been given were gone, as well as the one on her neck. Kuro's hands trembled as he recalled slamming the butt of his sword against that smooth skin. He winced and clenched his fists. Palutena would never forgive him.

Kuro wasn't sure if he had made any noise, or Palutena's power was indeed becoming stronger, for she opened her clear, green eyes. Her expression was confused as she looked around the room and rested her gaze on Kuro. She hurriedly stood up and gave a nod in Kuro's direction. "Prince Kuro." Her voice had no mockery in it, only what sounded like slight confusion and maybe a little curiosity.

Kuro bit his lower lip and shook his head, holding back tears. He gazed up at Palutena. "Don't call me that, please."

Palutena cocked her head slightly, but nodded. She sat down, spreading her mussed skirt over her legs. "Would you like to sit down?"

Kuro gave a start. She was being so polite. But Kuro knew that soon, her rage would explode on him. Nevertheless, he nodded slightly and came close to the cage. He sat down and leaned against the iron bars.

"Is there something you need from me, Kuro?" Palutena asked. Her beautiful voice was enough to make more tears start in Kuro's eyes. But he held them back.

He instead gazed back up at Palutena, his red eyes meeting her own green. "I want to help you escape."

Palutena blinked, as though this were nothing new. "And why do you want to do that?"

Kuro took a deep breath, but no words came from his mouth. The tears that had been building up for so long in his eyes started to stream down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and held back a sob as he looked back up at the trusting eyes of the goddess. "How can you be so calm?" He nearly screamed in anger, "I have disrespected you in so many ways! I have beaten and bruised you! I kept you from saving the angel whom you care so much about! I—" His voice broke as more tears streamed down his face.

He breathed deeply, his eyes closed. The silence was almost as unbearable as Palutena's calm behavior. He clutched himself tightly.

He felt a gentle touch on his cheek. Warmth spread through his cold body, like the light he had seen in the darkness. He opened his eyes to see Palutena against the bars, her long fingers brushing his cheek. She was smiling, her eyes gleaming.

"You have been through a lot, haven't you," she said quietly, "You are forgiven, Kuro. I know the fear you have, the one that Medusa invokes so well. I don't blame you for fear."

Kuro nearly choked out his next words. "How can you forgive me so easily?"

Palutena's eyes gained in warmth. "Because. You are truly upset over what happened."

Kuro bowed his head. He spoke slowly as his words only came out that way. "I am so…sorry for what I did."

"And that is why I forgive you."

Kuro took a deep breath and wiped away his tears. "I thought you would be furious at me."

Palutena laughed. Kuro nearly felt like laughing with her. Her laugh reminded him of tiny bells, jangling merrily in the slightest breath of wind. "It is indeed hard to make me furious, Kuro. Pit has tested my patience many times, and yet has failed to truly make me _that_ angry."

Kuro managed a smile. "Thank you, your highness."

Palutena held up a finger. "Uh uh uh! You asked me to not call you 'prince', so I'll ask you not to call me 'your highness'."

"Well, what am I supposed to call you then?"

"Palutena."

Kuro's smiled widened. "Well, do you have a plan to get out of here, _Palutena_?"

Palutena smiled. "We'll see."

* * *

><p>Jenny gently sipped her cup of coffee as she bent over the paperwork she was due to finish the next day. Stacked in front of her was a pile of finished papers, and an even larger one of unfinished papers. She moaned lightly as she stretched out her cramping hand. It was way too late for her to be up. But she had to get this paperwork done.<p>

By the peaceful way Pit slept in his room, Jenny was quite sure his feathers had grown back. He had been up nights on end twisting and turning as more feathers were stripped from his wings. He complained of itching early in the mornings, as that was the way his feathers grew back. But recently, he had slept quite well. Jenny hoped that meant that there would be no more sleepless nights on his end. For her, she wasn't so sure.

She picked her pencil back up and began writing again. She had to fill out so many papers, it was insane. But then again, she was used to it. She couldn't be in on the action all the time. So she was every once in a while stuck with the work every nurse hated. Paperwork. To her, it was worse than paying the bills.

Jenny was about to start on the next page when a loud knock came to the door. She was startled from her neat handwriting task. It was nearly one in the morning. Who would be calling at this time? Immediately Jenny was suspicious. If it was some man asking to use her phone, the door would immediately be shut on his face.

Jenny got up from her cramped sitting position at the table and stretched as she walked slowly towards the door. She cautiously opened the door. "Yes, who is it?"

"Geez, if you don't recognize me, Mom, I'd say we need to see each other more often!"

Jenny's weary face broke into a wide smile. She knew that voice better than maybe anyone else's. She threw the door open fully, embracing the young man. "Ryan!"

His blue eyes glittered in the moonlight, his blond hair bleached in silver. "Hey, Mom, how are you?"

Jenny almost dragged him into the house. "What's with the timing? You should be asleep!"

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "I know, but I wanted to surprise you! I told you a few months ago that I'd be coming!" His face suddenly looked worried, "you didn't forget, did you?"

Jenny shook her head, despite the fact that she had indeed forgotten that her own son would be visiting. But she had been busy with Pit. "No, it's perfectly fine that you're here! Would you like anything to eat? You must be famished!"

Ryan laughed. "Always watching my health, eh, Mom? No, I ate earlier. A glass of water would be great! I'll be there as soon as I put my stuff in my room."

Jenny stopped dead in her tracks on her way to the kitchen. "Oh, that's alright, Ryan!" she said hurriedly, "I'll put it away myself. You don't worry yourself over it!"

Ryan snorted. "Relax, Mom! I'm not going to pull a muscle moving my luggage! I'm only here for a few days. Then we're off to Cali for vacation! Remember?"

Jenny winced. "Yeah, um…Ryan?"

She was cut off by another knock at the door.

Jenny looked at the door in confusion. Another person?

Ryan blinked his blue eyes and walked over to the door. "Don't worry; I'll take care of it." Ryan slowly opened the door. "Who is it?"

The door slammed over and a streak of black flew into the room. Ryan was thrown off the handle of the door. He slammed into the far wall. He glared up at the figure.

The dark figure stood in the middle of the room. She looked to be female, with long, layered black hair, highlighted with blood red. Her skin was olive colored, and was as smooth as glass. Her eyes gleamed red as she gazed down at Ryan. Her clothes were black and the wings extending from her back were an oily black. Jenny stifled a gasp. Another angel! But this one looked anything but friendly.

"Where is he?" the girl's voice was a rasp, as though it was her first time talking in a long time. She gazed around the room, her eyes resting on Ryan. "Where are you hiding him?"

Ryan gazed up in confusion. "Where is who?"

"The Unspeakable."

"The what?"

The girl seemed to have no emotion at all. She merely looked at Ryan with the same expression she had started with: none at all. "I am unauthorized to say his name. Queen Medusa banished his name from the Skyworld."

"The what now?"

Jenny gazed at the girl. Medusa, Skyworld…if Medusa was the ruler of the Skyworld, the Unspeakable could be Pit. This girl was here to kill him! She jumped out from behind the wall. "Leave him alone! He's not here!"

The girl whipped out a long bow and pulled back on the string. The arrow materialized in her fingers, drawn from the darkness of the room. Jenny had seen Pit do the same thing with light. This girl had power over the shadows.

The girl pointed the bow at Jenny's head. "You are a good liar."

Before she could release the arrow, a streak of white ripped through her bow, snapping the dark metal in half. The girl gazed at the snapped bow and turned to where the streak had come.

Pit stood in the living room. Bare-chested, hair messy, and feathers in a jumble, he still stood with the perfect position of an archer. His bow hung at his side, his feet placed neatly apart. His blue eyes sparkled dangerously. "Someone looking for me?"

The shadow angel turned away from Jenny, her own red eyes glittering with anger. "So, you decide to show your face before death, Unspeakable." She grabbed broken bow, she ran at Pit, the bow now two blades.

With lighting speed, Pit split his own bow and charged the running girl. He blocked her blades with his own and slammed his thin shoulder into her. He made a thin slice in her wrist, but amazingly, no blood streamed out. Instead, like it had done for her arrow, the shadows from around her gathered and reformed into skin, looking exactly like it had before she had been cut. Pit snarled and threw himself at the girl, before he could make another attack, she disappeared. Pit stumbled as his attack hit open air. He gazed around him, looking for the girl.

Jenny watched in amazement when the girl disappeared, but was even more amazed when she rematerialized in the shadow of one of the couches. She sprung out before Jenny could call out a warning and slammed the butt of her blades into Pit's back. Pit was pushed to the ground, but leaped back to his feet and restarted his attack.

Jenny ran from her cover to Ryan, who was slowly pulling himself to his feet. His quick blue eyes watched the battle. He gaped at the white wings that erupted from Pit's shoulder blades. "Is that…"

Jenny helped her son up. "He's an angel, yes. Come on, I think I know how we can help him!"

Ryan was soon in on her plan and ran around the room with her, grabbing flashlights and flipping switches. Soon, the room was filled with light and any shadows had been lit with flashlights. The first story of the house had literally been swept of shadows.

As Pit rushed in for another attack, the girl tried to dematerialize, but her body had no shadow to re-morph into. Her body appeared where it had been, leaving her slightly confused. That was all Pit needed. He sliced his blade across her arm, which should have left her bleeding. But the gash instead erupted into darkness. The girl screamed as drops of shadows started to gush from the thin slice. She hurriedly tried to cover it, but the darkness had no shadows to heal it.

The gash grew larger, shadows ripping themselves from her body. She screamed and tore at her skin, but to no avail. In seconds, the darkness had consumed her in a pillar of shadowy fire. Jenny winced as the screams suddenly died and the fire sparked one last time and died.

Pit gasped for breath. He fluttered his wings slightly before folding them back up. Sweat poured down his body, but he remained standing. He slowly put his bow back together to form his bow and slung it over his shoulder.

Jenny grabbed him as he collapsed. "Pit, are you alright?"

Pit shook himself all over. "I'm hungry."

Jenny had to force herself not to laugh. "Well, I'm not surprised! Let me grab you something." She dragged him into the kitchen and set him down in a chair as she grabbed a jar of Nutella of a shelf and handed him a spoon.

"What was that thing?"

Ryan stood in the corner of the kitchen, his eyes still wide in shock. He gazed at Pit in awe, amazement, and, surprising to Jenny, fear. Jenny looked at her son sadly. He had just joined the club of living in a strange world. Ryan was a third degree black belt in many forms of martial arts, but he had never seen what he had just witnessed. It was enough to make anyone think they were going crazy.

Jenny watched as strength returned to Pit as he ate spoon after spoon of Nutella. Jenny took him gently by the shoulders and faced Ryan. "Ryan, this is my angel, Pit."

**Dang, I keep thinking that Kuro is a lot like Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender. I didn't mean to make him like that, he just came out that way. I was watching the episode "The Phoenix King: Part 2" last night and realized that Zuko and Kuro are a lot alike. I'm Sorry! Zuko (next to Toph, of course) is my favorite character from Avatar, so maybe my brain just put them together without me realizing it (*shrugs*). **

**So, keep up the PMs and reviews and all that jazz so I know that people like my story. I hope this chapter was all right. I'll describe Ryan better in the next chapter, I promise! Sorry for the wait! Thanks for reading!  
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	11. Trust and Hope

**I love updating! It makes me feel powerful! HAHAHA! Total randomness, I know. So, thanks to all of you people who have been going along with me and blah blah blah...Just a question I want to answer to the anonymous readers who I can't PM:**

**G.M. : Yes, I will finish this story! My sisters would kill me if I did not finish any of my stories, and I prefer not to be dead, so I will indeed finish this. Thanks for reading!**

**Anyhow, thanks to everyone! It really bugs me that I can't respond directly to anonymous reviews, but I'm glad that word about my story if getting around. Thanks for all the reviews! **

Ryan was up early the next morning. He had hoped that he might wake up and the whole "angel experience" would turn out to be just another dream. Then he realized where he was sleeping: the couch, not his old bedroom. The angel had taken his room. The angel existed.

Ryan slowly sipped his cup of coffee. His mind was jumbled from last night. Somehow, his mother had managed to sleep fine right after the attack from the "girl of darkness". Ryan, unfortunately, had not.

Jenny hurried into the kitchen. She completely ignored Ryan and instead threw some bread into the toaster. Ryan watched in silent fascination and confusion as Jenny grabbed the butter from the refrigerator and set a knife next to the platter, leaving it there, and grabbed a plate from one of the cabinets and set it in the other room. Ryan watched his mother hurry from room to room. "Um…Mom? What are you doing?"

Jenny gave him a sly smile but instead called from the kitchen, "Pit! Breakfast!"

Ryan heard the slam of a door and the quick pounding of feet down the hallway. Before Pit could reach the kitchen though, the toast popped up. With lightning speed, Jenny buttered the toast and, to Ryan's amazement, threw it in the air. "Think fast!"

Pit bolted in the room, fully dressed in a pair or dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and an orange nylon jacket, and quickly scanned the kitchen with quick eyes. He raced into the other room and came back with the plate, throwing himself to the ground and holding out the plate, catching the buttered toast neatly before it hit the ground.

Jenny smiled. "You're getting faster!"

Pit dragged himself to his feet, the plate remaining neatly in one hand. "Yeah!" He grabbed the toast off the plate and handed the plate back to Jenny. "I promised Mark and Kaitlyn I'd meet them at the park today. See ya!"

"Wait a sec there, Pit!" Pit had gotten fully to the door before Jenny called him back. Pit screeched to halt. Jenny inspected him up and down. "Wings?"

Pit looked behind him and span around in a circle so Jenny could see. "Covered."

"Knives?"

Pit opened his jacket, where his knives were nestled neatly against his side. "Got 'em!"

"Remember, you're not technically allowed to have knives that long, so keep them covered unless absolutely necessary. And if you're attacked by Dark Angels, bring Kaitlyn and Mark back here, okay?"

Pit saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" He turned away from her and threw on a pair of white Nikes before leaping out the door. Ryan watched his mother's face line with worry as she gazed at the shut door. Ryan wasn't surprised. Anyone would be scared for a kid who was being chased by evil flying creatures.

Jenny returned to the kitchen and began to slowly make herself some toast. She turned to Ryan as she waited for her breakfast. "Welcome to the hectic mornings your mother now has, Ryan."

Ryan shifted uncomfortably. "Mom, are you sure it's the best thing to have this…boy in the house?"

Jenny's green eyes gleamed. "How so?"

"Well, we were attacked by a creepy angel made of shadows and darkness last night—."

"And Pit came in and rescued us. Ryan, I feel safe with Pit around, just as I felt safe when you were around, after all of your training."

Ryan looked up at his mother, blue meeting green. "Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard to help this boy? This morning, when you made him breakfast…what the heck was that?"

Jenny laughed as she buttered her own toast. "Oh, that? That's just a little training exercise that Pit and I came up with so his reflexes will remain top notch. He told me that on Angel Land, they would play dodgeball for training, especially for those who play airball. All the angels have to remain in good shape, so Pit and I decided to come up with some of our own exercises to keep up his training."

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

Jenny sighed and rolled her eyes. "I forgot. You have no idea what I'm talking about. Okay, here's the spiel…"

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late!" Pit raced through the green grass, which had yet to die from the slowly chilling weather, to where Kaitlyn and Mark waited. Mark leaped up and grabbed his friend in a hug, while Kaitlyn merely waved, her golden hair curled just so and her knee length jean skirt fluttering ever so slightly in the wind.<p>

"Hey, Pit, you ready for the tour?"

Pit grinned. "You betcha!"

And so it began. Today was the day that Mark and Kaitlyn had decided to show Pit around Chicago, seeing as Pit was still quite new. When he had mentioned that he had never been to Chicago, and he might be moving away soon, Kaitlyn had mentioned the idea of a tour and Mark had agreed to help her.

"It's kind of strange how the buildings are so close together," Pit remarked as they made their way into the depths of the city.

"Yeah," Kaitlyn said, "It makes it hard to see the sky."

"But," Mark put in, "it makes it windier. The buildings act as a wind tunnel and draw the wind in, making the breezes more powerful. Hence the name "The Windy City".

"That's not why it's called "The Windy City"," Kaitlyn chided him as they turned to another street, "A long time ago, before we had the Louisiana territory, the East was the only colonized place, and the East was closer to the ocean. There wasn't nearly as much wind out there. The farthest city west that we had was Chicago, which was farther away from the ocean and was windier. It was the windiest place in the United States until we attained the west from France. Now, a lot of other cities and places are windier, but they're all out west, like Colorado, for instance."

"Why is Colorado windy?" Pit asked.

"It's because of the mountains. The wind becomes stronger as it is pushed over the mountains."

"Dang," Mark grumbled, "I feel like I'm in Mr. Romaro's History class." He made his voice deeper as he mimicked the large teacher. "'Ms. Dufrene, you are indeed the smartest person in this class. You don't have to do any homework for the next two months'."

Kaitlyn whacked his shoulder. "Whatever."

Mark rubbed his shoulder as he pointed to a huge building off in the distance. "Oh, that's the Sear's Tower, or whatever they call it now."

"The Willis Tower," Kaitlyn said automatically.

Mark rolled his eyes. "It's a stupid name if you ask me. We Chicagoans like the old name. It fits."

"Oh," Kaitlyn pointed to a beautiful old building, "That's the Chicago Art Institute. If you ever get a chance, go and see the Thorne Rooms. They're so cool!"

"You mean the sixty-eight miniature rooms that are all different?" Mark asked.

Kaitlyn nodded, her eyes dreamy. "It would be so cool to live in rooms like those. They're so pretty!"

Mark pointed out a large building as they passed by, after having gone on a train that Mark called "the L", which Mark said was the Chicago Institute of Science and Industry. Pit wanted desperately to go into that one: he might be able to get more insight on how human being's machines and technology worked. He would ask Jenny if they could go to that one later.

The three wandered around through the downtown after seeing a few more places. Pit's senses couldn't take in enough. The smells nearly overpowered his nose, and his ears tried desperately to clear out the noise from his brain. His eyes flickered back and forth, inspecting every vendor, every person, every shop sign. He couldn't get enough of the world around him.

"Ooh, "The Avengers" is out!"

Pit turned to Kaitlyn who had stopped in front of a large building with a large English word that Pit still couldn't read in glowing lights above them. Kaitlyn gazed up at the building in longing. "I so want to see that one!"

Pit wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about. "Huh?"

"You know," she smiled, "the movie, "The Avengers"? It came out yesterday! I so want to see that!"

Pit shrugged. "Sounds cool. I haven't seen a movie in…" he paused, "…forever!"

Kaitlyn's eyes glittered in the limited light of the sun. "Hey, maybe we could see it together."

Pit shrugged again. It sounded fun enough. "Yeah, sure! I'm going to be gone all Fall Break in California, but how about when I come back in a few weeks?"

Kaitlyn's smile widened. "That sounds awesome."

Pit grinned widely. "Great!"

They continued onwards, but as Pit went on, his only thought was, _Now what the heck is a movie?_

* * *

><p>"Are you sure we can trust him, Palutena?" Nighthawk said nervously, "I mean, he's never been this…humble before. It's a little suspicious."<p>

Palutena's eyes bored into Nighthawks through the bars. "I trust him, Nighthawk. I believe he's really sorry for what he's done. And we'll need his help to keep on Medusa's good side."

Nighthawk nodded. "Well, if you trust him, I trust him." He turned around to where the dark angel was waiting in the corner of the dungeon room. "Alright, you can come over now."

Kuro leaped happily to the cage site. Nighthawk had seen a dramatic change in Kuro, but only when he was around Palutena. With her, he was happier, lighter, and seemed perfectly at ease. But as soon as he turned back to the Skyworld, as soon as he slipped his glass crown over his head, he became almost awkward, almost nervous. Palutena seemed to bring him peace, and Nighthawk wasn't surprised in the least. He felt the same way around the goddess.

"So, what's the plan?" Kuro asked, kneeling next to Nighthawk, across from the goddess.

Palutena sighed. "So far, the same as it has been since the beginning: wait until Pit returns and fight when he does finally come."

Kuro raised an eyebrow. "But, why don't we attack already? I mean, Pit is one angel. What difference does it make if he's here or not?"

Nighthawk shook his head. "That's the thing. Pit may be young, and quite clueless, but he knows how to fight."

"I didn't make him a general for nothing," Palutena put in, "What he lacks in strength, height, and power, he makes up for with determination and loyalty. He never gives up."

"How are you so sure he'll be back so soon?" Kuro asked.

Palutena smiled. "His wings should be close to growing in fully. In a couple of months, he'll be able to fly with full strength. And when he does, he'll be back."

"If he survives that long," Kuro murmured.

"If you mean those Shadow Angels," Nighthawk blinked, "Pit'll be able to take them down lickety-split, as soon as he finds a weakness. Those angels are going down!"

Kuro nodded. "I just wish he would learn to fly faster. We need him more and more every day. I don't know what Medusa is planning, but it's not going to be good."

Palutena nodded. "Nighthawk, I want you to spread the word among the angels that Pit will be returning in a couple of months. Kindle the fire of hope and rebellion among them." She turned to the dark angel, "Kuro, keep up your relationship with Medusa. Gain her full trust and learn what you can for us. You will be the spy on our side."

Nighthawk and Kuro nodded. Palutena gazed upon them with her beautiful green eyes. "Good."

* * *

><p>Pit leaped through the door. "I'm home and I'm not dead!"<p>

Jenny laughed and looked up from her paperwork. "Well, we're all happy about that. How was your day?"

"Great, but can you explain what a 'movie' is?"

"Dang," Ryan commented from his work on his laptop (it had taken Jenny ages to describe the internet to Pit), "you angels are missing out if you don't have movies in the Skyworld."

Pit liked Ryan. He admired the tall, blond adult's cool, calm attitude, and frankly, if he was Jenny's son, that was just fine with Pit. Ryan's blue eyes gleamed as they met Pit's. Ryan's eyes were lighter than Pit's, and nicely accented his well-formed face. The only thing Pit didn't like about Ryan was how tall he was. Pit felt tiny next to the tall man.

"Why is that?" Pit asked, "Are they as good as chicken noodle soup?"

"Better."

"Nutella?"

"Better than that too!"

Pit thought long and hard. "Well, how the heck are they so good?"

"What if you could watch me do something over and over?"

Pit raised an eyebrow. "Like, in my memory?"

Ryan scratched his head. "Sort of. But, try thinking of it on a wall, or something like that. You could literally watch me do something over and over again, anytime you wanted."

"I'm still not following you."

Ryan stood up and stretched out his arms, taking his laptop off of his lap and setting it on the couch. "Well, then, I'll just have to show you. Mom, Pit and I are going to the movies."

Jenny smiled as she looked up from her paperwork. "Have fun, then!"

* * *

><p>"That girl was a good archer," Pit commented, chomping on popcorn as he and Ryan left the theater, "but her feet could have been placed better."<p>

Ryan rolled his eyes as he opened the door to the car. "Only you could notice something like that. How long have you been doing archery?"

Pit shrugged. "For a long time. Every angel learns the basics of self defense. Only the Centurions take it to the next level."

Ryan began to drive as soon as the road was clear. "So, how did you like The Hunger Games?"

"It was cool!" Pit perked up, his brown hair flopping messily around as he bounced on the seat, "The huge dogs were awesome, and the creepy dude with the weird beard was really interesting. I also liked the girl's skills and how she never gave up! Thanks for taking me!"

Ryan gave Pit a half-smile. "No prob. So, do you finally understand what movies are?"

Pit nodded. "Yeah. I sure wish we had them up in the Skyworld."

They drove on in silence for while, the only sound penetrating the quiet being the slow crunching of popcorn kernels in Pit's mouth. Ryan, a few moments later, turned to Pit with a sigh. "Sorry for all the quiet. I've never talked to an angel before."

Pit gave Ryan a grin. "I don't bite, I promise!"

Ryan laughed. "That's good. Anyway, you're too short for me to really be afraid of you."

Pit's face pinched. "Wait till you feel the wrath of my knives, then!"

"I didn't mean it as an insult. Anyway, not much scares me anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because I've taken my self defense to the 'next level'."

Pit looked up at him in interest. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm a third degree black belt in karate, fourth level in kendo, and second level judo."

"Huh?"

"Let's just say that if you came running at me and I felt threatened, you might not remember what happened in the next few days."

Pit's face lit up. "That is so cool! All I've got is archery, and I'm good with blades. Oh, and I can fly."

"Always a good thing," Ryan commented.

"Well," Pit said slowly, "I can _almost_ fly. I'm not exactly there yet."

"Why not?"

"Well," Pit sighed, "My wings are still growing. Until they're fully grown, I can only fly for five minutes at a time."

"That's five minutes more than I can fly," Ryan commented quickly.

"Yeah," Pit said, "But compared to all the other angels, I'm basically the weakest. I'm the only one who can't fly. Even angels that are younger than me can fly farther than I can and, heck, they can just fly! That's why I'm stuck here on Earth. I have to wait for my wings to finish growing."

Ryan looked at the angel. Pit didn't necessarily look sad to him, more just determined. His eyes were hard and his knuckles turned white as he made them into fists. His eyes gleamed in the light that came in from the windows.

"Well I can help you!"

Pit's head shot up, his eyes meeting Ryan's in amazement. "How?"

Ryan smiled slightly. "I can't make your wings grow, but from what Mom told me, you're heading back home to a fight. When it comes to fighting, I'm a master. So how about when we head to California, you and I spend some time training, and then you can practice more when you get back home, after you leave? That way, for at least a week, you can have a coach. I can teach you a lot about fighting without any weapons, in case anything happens to those knives of yours. What do you say?"

Pit nearly shot out of the car, while it was still moving. "I totally accept! I can use all the help I can get, and you sure seem to know a lot! This is great! More training! Yahoo!"

Ryan had to force himself not to laugh as the little angel grinned wildly in excitement. The boy's enthusiasm reminded Ryan of himself when he was young. Ryan had begged his mother to sign him up for karate when he was little, and she had consented after a long while. It had taken long hours of practice on Ryan's part to do well, but after hard work, he passed each of his belt tests and was now at one of the highest points he could get to, and he was still learning! But the determination that shone in the little angel's eyes was enough to convince Ryan that Pit would have no problem with hard work.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Pit, you coming?"<p>

Pit shook his head slowly, tuning to Kaitlyn and Mark. "No, I need to talk with Mr. Laurel about something. I'll see you guys later."

Kaitlyn shook her blond curls. "Well, I see you in a week then. You two have a good break!" She turned and skipped off, her skirt fluttering behind her.

Mark jumped up and grabbed Pit in a quick hug. "See ya, buddy! Have a good time in Cali!"

Pit waved after his friend. "Yeah, you have a good time here! See you in a week!" Mark disappeared behind a wall, leaving the once crowded hallway nearly empty and unusually quiet. There was the sound of distant chatter coming from another room, and the slamming of lockers, but it was quiet enough to leave Pit in his own thoughts.

He gripped his books tightly. He stared at the wooden door to the Greek room, where Mr. Laurel waited. This was it, the last day before break. And the day was over. And the note had said to meet him in the Greek room after school on the last day before break. Pit sucked in a breath and held out the note, reading it to himself over and over. He squared his shoulders.

The room was empty. Pit shut the door behind him and looked around the room. The lights were dimmed, throwing the room into an odd perspective where the shadows were too large, making the room look smaller. Pit gazed around the room, his eyes resting on the whiteboard, which seemed to be covered in tiny marks. He squinted his eyes and walked closer. The marks…they were Greek letters! Pit stared, amazed at the board. There was a whole letter there!

Dear Pit,

I regret not being here to speak directly with you, but something important has called me away (Pit stared at the board in confusion. Mr. Laurel had been there not two minutes ago!). So I wrote this for you to understand.

You received the letter I wrote to you in class, where I told you that I knew you were an angel. First of all, I know this because you can only write in Ancient Greek, and not in English, which is nearly impossible for anyone to do. Ancient Greek is rarely used anymore, unlike the Modern day Greek. Your athletic skills, so I have heard from Mr. Goldburg, are very advanced, and you have so far outshone everyone in archery, which is a skill that takes a long time to master. Also, angels just seem to recognize each other. (At this moment, Pit stopped reading, for his breath had suddenly become short). Yes, Pit, I am an angel as well…

Pit literally fell backwards, crashing over Mr. Laurel's desk and toppling to the floor. He rubbed the new bump on his head absentmindedly, but he didn't really pay that much attention to his aching body. He was much to amazed for that.

He stared at the board. Mr. Laurel…was an angel? Pit clutched his chest, forcing his heart to slow down. His breaths came in gulps. The crabby teacher who seemed to be upset at everyone, the one who took one look at Pit and said that the he couldn't learn Greek…was an angel? Pit pressed his hands to his forehead, desperately trying to keep the headache that was beginning to build up at bay. He stood up and walked back to the board, continuing with the letter.

…Pit, you are a strong, smart individual, so I wonder greatly how you came to Earth and why you left the Skyworld in the first place. I left the Skyworld longing for a taste of new surrounding. Queen Palutena told me not to leave. She said I would not find what I was looking for on Earth. She was right.

Despite my change of heart, I had been seriously damaged on my way to Earth, and have been unable to return since. I have had to make my way in the world of human beings. I have found only pain and anger here. Nothing here is like the Skyworld. Humans are cruel creatures, Pit. Watch your back around them. Trust no one. When your wings grow out, do not linger here: return home with speed. I can offer you no greater advice than that.

I hope you enjoy your break.

Mr. Laurel

Pit clenched his hands into fists. With slow, deliberate strokes, he began to erase the whiteboard. As he wiped off each sentence, words from the line screamed at him. But the most powerful ones came towards the end.

_Humans. Cruel. Trust. No. One. _

Pit winced and continued wiping the evidence of words from the board. Humans…were they so cruel as Mr. Laurel said? Jenny definitely wasn't, and Ryan had only a few days ago offered to teach Pit combat skills so he would be better off in the Skyworld when he returned. Mark was anything but cruel. And Kaitlyn…Pit immediately shook that thought from his mind. The words "Kaitlyn" and "cruel" should not even be used in the same sentence.

How could he trust no one? Not even the people he loved? The four people he had just thought of were the only people who he _could_ trust on Earth. They were the ones who made his stay on Earth bearable. They were the ones who gave him comfort, fun, and safety.

Pit shook his head and smiled as he wiped away the last sentence. "Sorry, Mr. Laurel, but I can't _not_ trust my friends. They're the only hope I have." He slowly wiped off Mr. Laurel's name from the whiteboard, gazing at the blank board. He frowned and picked up a marker, and slowly wrote his own words.

He slowly left the room, gazing back one last time at his words, and smiling.

Τρυστ ανδ ͑ώπ αρ ολ θατ ις λεφτ

Trust and Hope are all that is left.

**Greek takes a long time to write, even if it's not actual Greek! I kept on having to change my words because of the lack of certain sounds for certain words. But, hey, it worked! **

**Sorry for the little history lesson in the middle of this chapter! I actually recently found out about the whole "Why the Windy City is called that", so I decided to implement it in here. Also, sorry for the Avengers and the Hunger Games. I actually haven't seen the Avengers. My brother has, but I have yet to see it. I only used the Hunger Games because it has archery in it. I loved the Hunger Games movie, but I am not obsessed by a long shot. Just saying.**

**So...Pit and Kaitlyn's date...a lot of people have been PMing me telling me that they need to go on a date. So, here you go! It might take a couple of chapters to actually get there though. So, sorry for the wait! I hope everyone liked this chapter! (*turns thoughtful*) Now what to have Pit do in California...?**

**Keep up with those reviews! **

**~pj**


	12. Santa Barbara, California

**I really hate taking super long vacations, because when I come back, I feel like I missed a lot!**

**Sorry to all you people who though I had dropped off the face of the earth. But I'm back! I'm sorry to any of you who emailed me during my computer-free two weeks, because I didn't get back to you as fast as I would have liked. If I still haven't responded, please let me know so I can. Thanks a lot, Dragonguy12345, for your emails while I was on my last week (when I had computer access). They helped me a lot with my story work and a lot of the random facts I needed! You rock!  
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**Anyways, I hope you like my next chapter! I spent most of my day today finishing it, and now I have to come up with a ton more stuff for the next one! Thanks a lot!  
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Pit stared, mouth agape and eyes wide, out the window of the plane. This was something he had dreamed of since he was a hatchling: Flight. He gazed down at the sea of clouds and up at the sun, squinting from the light. Humans had mastered the art of flight, in a plane!

Pit, Jenny, and Ryan were finally headed to California together, on the wonder of all wonders: a plane. Pit couldn't get enough of the huge, bird shaped machine that allowed him to fly. He was still slightly confused about how it flew without flapping its wings, but there was a lot he was still confused by.

He turned back to the interior of the plane (Pit's first reaction to the technical term 'cabin' had been, "A cabin? Like in the woods?"). Jenny was sleeping quietly next to him. Pit wasn't sure how anyone could be so calm on a plane. They were flying! There was nothing as exhilarating as soaring through the air from one place to another, even if he was still timid about doing it himself with his own wings. But Jenny had seemed slightly tired after going through security. Pit had been confused by just about everything in the airport, and had worn out Ryan and Jenny with his endless questions. But despite the whole airport, security had been the worst section for Pit. He had had to take of his jacket, so he hid his wings under his t-shirt. His wings were slammed so tightly against his back that he nearly crushed his spine with the pressure. But the guards hadn't seemed to notice anything to be wrong, and so Pit survived long about to get on the plane.

The feathers on his wings flared out with excitement. Pit gazed behind him where his wings would have been if he hadn't been hiding them so. Feeling the power behind his wings when he had had to hide them through security, Pit was sure of one thing: his wings were growing! He grinned widely, and twiddled with his thumbs in ecstasy. He was growing! All wasn't lost after all! With any luck, he'd soon be soaring through the air on his own wings. He would see these clouds without the metal plane holding him up. He would soon be gazing upon the proud faces of Palutena and Nighthawk.

Pit frowned as a new face came into view in his mind, one with wild purple snakes for hair, golden slit-like eyes, and a face as pale as milk. That is, if he wasn't too late.

* * *

><p>"It's so…green!" Pit whirled around him, pulling his suitcase behind him. "Where are all the buildings?"<p>

Ryan laughed. "Welcome to California, Pit! Chicago may have the buildings, but California's more…natural."

"Well, if you're not in L.A. or San Fran," Jenny commented.

Pit raised an eyebrow.

Jenny shook her head. "Sorry. L.A. stands for Los Angeles, and San Fran is for San Francisco. They're both cities in California."

Pit nodded. There were a lot of cities to remember. The Skyworld had more areas than just Angel Land, but Pit had never been to any of them, seeing as he couldn't fly. His feathers ruffled slightly. But it wouldn't be long now!

Ryan walked the two over to a small car and carefully placed the luggage in the trunk. "So, we'll head to the hotel first, and you two can get situated there. I'll head back to my dorm and come back to pick you up as soon as I can drop my bags off."

Pit cocked his head. "What's a dorm? And a hotel?"

"A hotel is like a huge house with tons of rooms for people to stay in. A dorm is kind of the same thing, but you live longer in a dorm than you do a hotel."

Pit still looked confused. "Why do you live in a dorm longer?"

"Ryan's in college, Pit," Jenny tried to explain, "So he needs a place to stay while he studies."

"College?"

Jenny sighed. "How about I explain this when we get to the hotel? This could take a while."

* * *

><p>"So this is a beach?"<p>

Ryan nodded. "You don't have beaches in the Skyworld?"

Pit shrugged. "Well, at least not in Angel Land. I haven't been anywhere else. What's all that water?"

"The ocean."

"And why does it move so much?"

Ryan ran a hand through his blond hair, the strands sticky with sea-spray. The two had left Jenny at the hotel so she could rest, and Ryan took Pit to the beach to see the water. The sun was slowly setting behind the waves, turning the clouds above pink and orange. The sight was beautiful. "Well, that's when it starts to get more complicated. It has to do with the moon and the gravitational pull on the earth and stuff like that."

Pit nodded slowly. "Oh…so you live here?"

"Where?"

"In California."

Ryan shrugged. "For the time being, until my studies are over. Then…who knows? I could move anywhere if I had reason to."

Pit blinked, staring off into the ocean. "But do you like it here?"

"Yeah, it's nice," Ryan answered.

"Then why leave? Why leave someplace you like? Is there somewhere better?"

"I guess that's all a part of the game," Ryan said slowly, "The thing is, I might find a job somewhere else and need to go there to make money. Or I might get married and leave so I could be with my wife. It all depends on how things work out. My mom didn't always live in Chicago."

Pit blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. She lived in Florida at one point, in Orlando. She lived there her whole life. She and my dad were friends in high school, but he moved to Chicago for college. My mom soon followed and started dating my father, and pretty soon, I was born. My dad left her before they could be married; seems like he wasn't ready to be a parent, so my mom raised me on her own. She got a job as a nurse in Chicago, and we lived there ever since. I moved away about three years ago to go to college here, in Santa Barbara."

Pit's eyes followed the patterns of the waves. "It's just…so weird to me. I've lived in the same house my whole life and I never knew my mother or father…I'm not even sure how I was born. I can never tell if I was born, or created…It's just strange."

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, that could get kind of confusing."

"Ryan," Pit's eyes were saddened, "why would your father leave you?"

Ryan cocked his head. "What do you mean exactly?"

Pit sighed. "Well, I may not have any parents, but if I did, it doesn't seem right that they would botch their responsibility and leave me. Why would your dad do that to you? I mean, if he was a part in having you, shouldn't he realize that and take responsibility for his actions?"

Ryan laughed. "You are wiser than a lot of people I know, Pit. Well, this world is filled with a lot of people who don't take responsibility for their actions. That's why people like us have to be the bigger man and stand up for what is right." Ryan checked his watch. "It's almost seven. We should be getting back to the hotel."

Pit nodded slowly and the two left in silence for the car.

The sky darkened as they drove, and Pit gazed out his own window, lost in thought. It was a quiet ride home.

"Hey, Ryan?" Pit said suddenly, his eyes not meeting Ryan's.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about your dad."

Ryan's fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles going white as he let out a long, deep sigh. "I am too, Pit."

* * *

><p>"The fabric to my shirt feels like the stuff my jacket is made of," Pit commented as the car slowed to a stop.<p>

"They're made out of similar material, Pit," Jenny said, peering at him through her sunglasses.

Pit leaped out or the car, his flip-flopped feet slapping on the asphalt. He gazed happily at the beach. Ryan had decided to take Pit and Jenny to the beach today, so Pit could have an off day before starting his training. Pit smiled. The sun sparkled off the sand and off the cresting peaks of waves. It blazed off of Pit's lightly tanned skin and made the sunscreen that Jenny had made him put on feel sticky and tacky.

But the biggest difference from when Pit had been there the night before were the people. Before, the beach had been calm, barely anyone there. But now it was a bustle of color and activity. People of every size, shape, color, and age were running on the sand, splashing each other in the water, or just lying there on the beach on towels and underneath umbrellas.

"Wow!" Pit gazed at the ocean, "The water's so loud! Like a waterfall!"

Jenny smiled. "Yeah, the waves are pretty powerful. You ready for a swim?"

Pit grinned widely. "Oh yeah! When do we start?"

"As soon as we can find a place to set down our stuff. How about that place over there?" Jenny pointed to a patch of open sand where no one else was.

"Great!" Pit tried to run over to the spot she pointed, but the sand below him kept on filling up his flip-flops and the small dunes slowed him down. He stopped for a second and shook his feet out. "This stuff gets everywhere!"

Ryan held back a laugh. "Well, take off your flip-flops then and go barefoot."

Pit tried that, but immediately jumped back into his shoes. "This stuff is like fire!"

Jenny walked over slowly. "The sand absorbs the heat of the sun. The sand by the water is cooler."

Pit slowed himself down, picking up his feet very high before taking a step, but still the sand found its way into his shoes and in between his toes. He gritted his teeth as the sand rubbed roughly against his feet. He would probably be more comfortable without the flip-flops, but the sand felt like it was burning all of the calluses off of his heels. The water would feel better.

Pit dropped his load on the ground. "I'll see you guys later!" He kicked off his shoes and ran across the hot sand until he reached the water. He didn't even think: he threw himself headlong into the crashing waves.

He came up spluttering, clutching his shoulders tightly. He jumped out of the water and ran across the still flaming hot sand to where Ryan and Jenny had set up a blanket and an umbrella. He carefully placed his feet on the blanket and shivered, still dripping wet. His hair flopped messily in his eyes as he held himself in a tight hug. "This place is made of polar opposites!"

Ryan looked over his sunglasses, smiling slightly. "How so?"

"The sand is hot and the water is cold. Is there somewhere lukewarm or something for all us people who don't normally go to beaches?"

Jenny laughed and stood up off the blanket. "Here, let me show you the edge."

She gently took his hand and led him to the edge of the water. There, the sand was constantly being lapped by the waves, making it cool and firm. Pit dug his feet into the soft sand and sighed. "I like this better than actually swimming."

Jenny smiled. "Good. Then why don't you make a sand castle or something?"

Pit blinked in confusion. "A sand…castle?"

Jenny sighed and shook her head. "You have so much to learn, Pit. It's very simple. You use the sand to build a small structure."

Pit nodded slowly. "Is there some sort of mortar you use to keep the sand together, because with the way the sand was getting into my shoes, I know for a fact it does not stick together."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Mortar makes it sound so complicated! You use the water. Notice how the sand here by the water sticks together and is harder? The water keeps it there."

"So, do I need tools?"

"You have hands, right? Use them, and maybe a shovel, if you can find one."

Pit shrugged. "Doesn't sound like a very sturdy building."

"No one's going to live in it, Pit! It's just for fun!" she pointed to a group of kids a short ways down the beach. They were making a small mound of sand and putting small stones and twigs inside and on top in what looked like decoration. "See, they're just throwing stuff together!"

Pit drew a hand through his hair that was still dripping wet. "Alright…sounds like fun!"

Jenny smiled. "That's my good little angel."

* * *

><p>Kuro slid in and out of the shadowed caverns. It was one of the few times he was glad he was a shadow angel, even if he didn't have the powers that the new ones did. The new ones could heal themselves with the darkness around them, and could jump from shadow to shadow. That might have been a useful skill, especially down here where everything was dark. Kuro could just teleport anywhere he needed to. But he would have to make do. His coloration would help.<p>

He had to find out what was going on.

Palutena, who he had come to trust more than he had ever done with anyone, was keeping something hidden. She told him never to come on the night of the new moon. Ever. And Kuro wanted to know why.

Kuro thought personally that he and the goddess were on good terms. He enjoyed his meetings with her. She made him feel warm, comforted, and so…loved. All his life, Kuro had been rejected. He had been created for the sole purpose of being better than his light side, to take down Pit, and that had made him bitter and hard. No on had ever taken the time to ask him what he wanted, what he was feeling, or if he was alright. Until now. Palutena didn't seem to care that Kuro was a shadow angel or that he was hated by everyone else. She welcomed him, cherished him. And every time Kuro was around the goddess, he felt as though his head were in the clouds.

And that was why Kuro was so intent on finding out what was wrong and why Palutena was keeping secrets. Kuro knew he should probably trust the goddess's judgment, but he was so new to the whole "friendship thing" that he wanted to do it right, and that meant helping in any way possible.

Kuro slid past another guard. He was almost there. He slowed down slightly. And that was when he heard the voice.

Kuro nearly stopped dead in his tracks. A cold feeling, as though he were being covered in thin shards of ice, pierced his skin. It rose from his toes up his body. His heart nearly sopped beating in fright.

"You are looking well, my sister."

Kuro pressed himself against the wall closest to him and peeked around the corner. Medusa stood proudly in front of Palutena's prison, her staff in hand and snakes hissing. Palutena knelt on the ground, her golden aura glowing brightly. A weak smile played on her lips.

"I wish I could say the same about you, but you always told me I had a talent for being honest."

Medusa's poisonous smile slammed into a snarling hiss of annoyance. "And you also had one for weakness! Your world and your servants are now under my control—."

"The angels are not my servants, sister," Palutena interrupted, "They speak and work for themselves."

"Well, if they weren't then, they are now. No, better yet, they are slaves to my bidding. They have no hope for anything."

Palutena's eyes flashed. "There is always hope!"

"Well they don't share your faith then," Medusa snapped, "Pit is gone! There is no hope for his return. He is either dead or in a world where he will be scorned for everything he is! He will never return!"

Palutena shook her head. "He will. He always does and always will. That's why he's so precious. All angels have talents. Pit's is never giving up."

Medusa cut her staff through the air angrily. Palutena slammed into the stone wall in the back of her prison, wincing in pain.

Medusa walked through the bars of the cage as though they were only dream-like images. Her slit eyes burned in fury. "Someday," she hissed, "I will crush all your hope from your body. And the day will come when my prince's shadow warriors bright back your little general's head!" She raised her staff. Palutena clutched her throat as she was lifted, an unseen force dragging her from the ground off her feet and into the air. But no matter how she struggled, she could not free herself.

"Father always loved you best!" Medusa snarled as she raised her hand and another invisible force slammed into Palutena. The goddess moaned and closed her eyes tight. "How could he never see that I was the one with the most power?" Something whipped Palutena's head to the side, as though she had been slapped. Tears rolled down the beautiful woman's cheeks. "If only he could see me now!" Medusa's claw-like fingernails looked as though they were tearing through the air as they mimed squeezing something tight. The golden aura surrounding Palutena slowly began to split from her side and gather around Medusa's fingertips. Palutena's sharp twisting movements became weaker and weaker.

When Medusa dropped Palutena to the ground, only the barest bit of light now shone around the goddess. Medusa closed her hand into a fist, the ball of golden light in her palm disappearing. Her breathing was ragged, and her chest heaved as she let go of the power she had been sustaining.

"Everything you have is now mine," Medusa hissed, "as it always should have been."

Palutena squinted her eyes open. "Except for my hope."

Medusa nearly shrieked. The snakes on her head spit wildly in anger. But Medusa didn't strike. She regained her composure and gave one last glare to Palutena before walking again through the bars, and walking away from the cage.

Kuro pressed himself tightly against the walls as the snake-headed woman walked past him and into the deep caverns. Tears flooded his cheeks as he turned back to the room. It had taken all his concentration not to run in and tackle Medusa from behind as she hurt Palutena. Kuro winced as he lifted his fingers from the stone walls. He hadn't realized how tightly he had gripped the stone, how he must have clawed at the walls in anguish as he watched his beloved queen be attacked. But he now could feel the raw tips of his fingers flaming in irritation. All of the skin on his fingertips must have been rubbed off.

Kuro walked slowly into the room. Palutena leaned against the stone wall and partially against the cage. Her head was down and her aura flickered weakly. Kuro had to hold back a sob. "Palutena?" His voice nearly cracked.

Palutena's head slowly raised. Her cheeks were streaked from her tears washing away the grubby dirt that had accumulated on her skin. Her eyes met his, the beautiful green filled with pain. "Oh Kuro," she whispered, "you watched that, didn't you."

Kuro nearly fell into a kneeling position on the ground, opposite from her, only the bars of the cage between them. He blinked back more tears as he nodded.

Palutena's breaths were racking. "She does this to me every new moon, when the world is covered with shadows and her power is at its peak. She comes down here and rips away all but the smallest amount of my life force. Then she waits until I've regained about the same amount she took away and repeats the process."

Kuro blinked up at her with his red eyes, biting his lips at the cruelty of Medusa's actions. How could she do something like this to someone so wonderful? "What can I do to ease your pain?"

Palutena gave him a weak smile. "I have no pain, only numbness." She looked down to the floor.

Kuro followed her gaze and realized she was looking at her hand, which was pale and white. Kuro quickly drew his hand away, which had unknowingly managed to land right on top of hers. "Your hands are as cold as the floor!"

"My body doesn't have enough heat to warm them up." She held up her hand closer to her at around eyelevel, but it flopped down, as though lifeless. She gazed at it sadly. "It will take a long time to regain my lifeforce."

Kuro reached through the bars and grabbed Palutena's hand. The ice cold of her fingers rubbed painfully against his red fingertips, but he knew that irritated skin radiated heat, and heat was what the goddess needed most.

"Oh, Kuro, your poor fingers!" Palutena looked in concern at the raw hand that held hers. "You need to have those heal!"

Kuro gently brought her hand to his lips and breathed slowly on them, making his breath as hot as possible. "You're in more need of help than I am, Palutena. While I have time and heat, you're the one who needs the most care."

Palutena looked as though she might argue, but she thought better of it at last second and resolved to Kuro's care.

Kuro's eyes met hers. Palutena gave him a small smile, a single tear falling down her face. "Thank you."

Kuro reached up and brushed away the tear with one smooth stroke. "Don't you dare start to cry," He half laughed, half choked, "or I'll cry too."

Palutena gave him a wobbly smile and her aura flickered slightly brighter as Kuro gently brought warmth and life to her hands.

**Maybe I should re-rate my story T for intense sequences and images that make you want to cry. At least, they did for me! **

**Thank you all for reading! PM me if you have any ideas for my next chapter! And as always, I welcome all comments! **

**I'm nearing 10,000 hits on this story! I'm so excited!**

**~pixeljam  
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	13. Of Kestrels and Red Paint

**YAY! Another update! I'm actually very proud of this one, even if it did take a lot of brainstorming and a lot of shouting matches between me and Kuro to have this one done. But here's a few thank-yous and comments first.**

**Olive Berries: Wow, you've been keeping up with me! I've loved all your reviews and comments, and I've been enjoying getting fangirly messages from you. Thanks so much!  
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**Ecological: I am so glad you found me and my story! Always strive to be courageous in all your work, even if you are shy. You're a great writer! Keep up the good work!  
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**xxIAmTheSkyxx: It has been so much fun to get to know you! Oh yeah for KH! I've had a great time PMing you and reading all your funny answers. Here's the update you wanted!  
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**Guest: You wrote me a review on the seventeenth of July on chapter 4 of my story. An answer to your comment: No, I have not played Uprising (I know all about it, though) and I know I do not follow the storyline. Thanks anyhow!  
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**Pandamonium: Thank you so much for your kind words! You totally lifted my day when I read your review!**

**And, as always, thank you so much DragonGuy54321. You have been an awesome help so far and I cannot wait to have your help in the future!**

**So...welcome to the next chapter!  
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* * *

><p>Pit dusted fine grains of sand off of his legs and chest as he stood up and admired his sand castle. He turned to Jenny and Ryan, who were still sitting under an umbrella on a towel, enjoying the rest. "Hey, what do you think?"<p>

Jenny lowered her sunglasses and her jaw dropped open as she gazed at the sand structure. Ryan, next to her, had basically the same expression on his face. Pit looked back down at his castle, trying to figure out what was wrong. "What?"

Okay, so maybe he had gone a bit overboard. The columns were a bit much, he admitted to that, but he thought they brought character to a building. And maybe he shouldn't have covered the pillars in the green fabric-like material he had found floating in the water, or made the platform so smooth. But hey, he liked it!

"Were you an architect back in your world?" Ryan asked, "Because you just made, like, the Parthenon…on a beach…out of sand!"

Pit shrugged. "Well, it was supposed to be Palutena's Temple, but if this Parthenon thing looks anything like it, then I guess I did alright."

Jenny's eyes widened. "_Alright_? How did you get the sand to stick so well?"

"I realized after a while that sand castles weren't much different than the sculptures my friends and used to make out of dirt. It was actually pretty easy after I got the sand wet!"

Jenny shook her head and leaned back in her chair. "You never cease to amaze me, Pit."

Pit grinned. "If I had more time, I probably would have made it bigger. But the structural base wouldn't have been as sound. If I had added sticks to the pillars though and wrapped the sand around, that would have made it even sturdier."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "I never knew sandcastle building was so technical!"

Pit smirked. "It is when you want to do it right! I mean, heck, back in Chicago, the leaves are all falling off the trees. Here, it's still warm! I might as well live it up!"

Ryan laughed. "You won't think it's so warm tomorrow when we're training. A cold front is coming in tonight, and it'll be chilly in the forest where we're working."

Pit raised an eyebrow. "A forest? After all this sand? Where's a forest in a city like this?"

Ryan smiled and flipped back down his shades, turning back to the newspaper in his hands. "You'll see tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Kuro laughed quietly as the wind played gently with his fluffy black hair, tickling his scalp. He curled himself up on the grass underneath the green leaved tree, sighing as the sun warmed his skin. There were only a few places in the Skyworld that had escaped Medusa's plight. A tiny, floating island that consisted of a patch of grass and a few trees was one of them, and it had become Kuro's place of relaxation.<p>

For once, he felt as though the world was finally on the upside. He went to see Palutena as often as he could without it becoming obvious, and Medusa, so far, seemed to suspect nothing. It seemed the universe actually didn't hate him. He was alone, and nothing seemed to be going wrong.

"Your Highness."

Kuro tore his gaze away from the sky, to the Shadow Angel that hovered near the ground. He nearly snarled. Great, it seemed Kuro's secret spot was no longer secretive any longer. He should have guessed someone would find him. The Shadow Angels that Medusa had given Kuro had an uncanny ability to find him anywhere he went.

The Shadow Angel looked at Kuro with expressionless red eyes. Kuro hoped desperately that his own red eyes were different than the other Shadow Angel's because without pupils, the eyes looked scarier than normal. Kuro was only scared of one person, and that was Medusa, for her power. But recently, the Shadow Angels were beginning to terrify him. And the reason was for their lack of emotion. They seemed to forget everything that was not programmed into their minds, and yet Kuro knew that they remembered everything, even if they never aced on what they had just seem, heard, or seen, unless it was rule breaking. Kuro was a Shadow Angel, but he was different. He could feel, think for himself, and know what he was doing at all times. He could contemplate and understand, hesitate and rethink things over if necessary. The new Angels, they only took orders. They didn't strive to understand, to know all. They took everything for granted.

"Sir," the Shadow Angel's eyes bored into Kuro, "Empress Medusa wishes to see you immediately."

Kuro rose to his feet and cracked his back with a grumpy expression. "Why?"

The Shadow Angel straightened even taller, his oily wings beating perfectly on time. "The Empress does not burden me with her problems. I am merely a messenger."

Kuro rolled his eyes. "Sure." He unfurled his wings and took to the sky, sighing deeply. Great, now his good mood was gone. He had been wrong: the universe really did hate him.

The flight was short and silent. Kuro frowned sharply, in a bad mood. The Shadow Angel, as usual, showed no expression on his olive-skinned face.

The two reached Angel Land in a very short amount of time. Kuro landed, his eyebrows lifting slightly. Strange, there was no one there. True, not many Angels were out and about anyhow, unless Medusa had given them a job to do, but there were none…at all. The silence sent shivers up Kuro's spine. Where was everyone?

"Empress Medusa is waiting in her Temple, Prince Kuro." The Shadow Angel motioned to the Temple.

Kuro bit his tongue to keep from snapping back that he knew how to get there, he didn't need to be shown the way. He held back a grumble and instead took off after the stealthy Shadow Angel.

As they neared the temple, the houses surrounding the main island started to look stranger, or at least more so than normal. But they all had one thing in common: red paint. The bright color marred the white marble of the houses dramatically. It dripped from rooftops off onto the dead grass and cobblestones. It was as though everything had been smeared in blood. But every few houses, Kuro noticed, one house seemed to be perfectly fine, as though the owner hadn't gotten the message about the new paint jobs…message…Kuro blanched. _On no…they didn't…_

Kuro flapped his wings, hard. He soared up into the air, above the Shadow Angel, who had stopped to wait for him. Kuro hovered high in the air above the houses, gazing down in horror. He groaned and tugged at his hair.

Each of the roofs of the red houses had a letter on them, painted in bright red paint. The clean houses seemed to stand for spaces. And from the air, they read: Δεθ του Μεδουσα.

Death to Medusa.

And on the temple, which Kuro could plainly see from the air, was painted a bow and a snake.

Kuro winced. Whoever had done this was going to be dead, literally. Medusa could not have _not_ found out about this: the evidence was everywhere! Someone was in trouble.

Kuro snapped his wings behind him and dropped from the air to a more comfortable altitude. He used his burst of speed from the sudden drop to shoot himself to the temple, which he landed in front of in shock.

The temple dripped in scarlet paint. The grass around it, still dead since Medusa's reign had begun, was stained red as though from a bloody battle. Handprints marred the glass pillars and the roof was so slick that even the remaining birds in angel Land could not land on the temple without slipping.

The temple was as crowded as during his coronation. As Kuro slowly walked inside, the angels split for him, making a long pathway to the throne. No wonder the city was empty: all the angels had been gathered. And now Kuro was pretty sure he knew why.

Medusa's face was sickly sweet, as though she were trying as hard as she could not to scream in rage. Her hair still hissed angrily though. The snakes spat and drew their fangs back in snarling rage. Nighthawk stood to her left, gazing down at the angels with a blank, expressionless face.

"Prince Kuro," Medusa said his name slowly, as though relishing every syllable, "How good of you to join us."

Kuro bowed, forcing himself not to shiver. Ever since he had started spending time with Palutena, Medusa seemed to scare him more and more. He realized now just how dangerous and cruel she could be. And it made him fear her.

"I don't know if on your way," Medusa said quietly, "you noticed something…unusual?"

Kuro winced. "Unusual…how, your highness?"

Medusa drew her long fingers along her staff, breathing on it as though she were about to polish the purple and golden snake-like design. "A slight coloration change, perhaps?"

Kuro nodded slowly. "It seems red has become popular."

Medusa slammed her staff into the ground, resulting in a large bang. "Defacing a temple is slightly more disruptive than a single color change, Kuro!" She took a breath in, and her snake hair began to move less wildly as she calmed down. "But I have found the culprit."

Kuro looked up, his red eyes meeting her golden slits. "You have?"

Medusa's thin lips twisted into a wicked smile. "Yes, and this person will pay the price. Come, stand at my right hand as we deal with this threat."

Kuro bowed his head again and did as he was told. He stood to Medusa's right side, and looked down at the angels. Their eyes were wide, and filled with fright. For once, there seemed to be no defiance in the crowd, no sign of pride or hope. Kuro felt his spirits drop even lower.

"Bring in the prisoner!" Medusa's call rang out through the silent room. Two of the Shadow Angels ran off behind the throne room, saluting as they did so. Kuro had noticed lately that there were no Underworld Monsters anywhere on the Skyworld anymore. Perhaps Medusa found that the Shadow Angels were more efficient with their speed and power, or that they were simply better to look at. But the guards, warriors, and any other of Medusa's henchmen were now Shadow Angels.

A figure was slammed into the ground before Medusa, having been thrown to the floor by the two expressionless guards. The angel cried out as they hit the cold flooring, wings and hair askew. Kuro drew in a breath as the angel rose defiantly to their knees and glared up at Medusa. It was a female, with long hair a color that Kuro could not define from crusting in dirt. Brilliant hazel eyes flashed a flaming green up at Medusa. Her wings were showered in dirt, and her clothing was simply a tunic tied around her waist by a string. Her lip was split, pouring blood over her chin, and her arms were riddles with scratches and scars.

"And who might you be?" Medusa purred at the girl.

"None of your business," the girl snapped, her chest heaving for air as though her heart were not working properly.

"Her name," Nighthawk said with an air of importance as he read off a large scroll, "is Kestrel. She's the Captain of Angel Land's Airball team. She has also in the past been known to hang around with the past General, Pit."

The girl's eyes swiveled to look at Nighthawk. "You could have told her all that information without the paper, Nighthawk!" She snarled, "Pit would be ashamed to see what you've become."

Nighthawk glared at Kestrel. "Pit would have seen the light eventually, unlike everyone else here."

The girl stood up, her teeth bared. "Why you little—!"

"ENOUGH!" Medusa screamed over the two. Nighthawk immediately shut his mouth, but Kestrel didn't seem to be done, not with the glared she kept shooting the ebony-haired angel.

"Were you the one who started the idea of smearing paint over the houses' roofs to write me a death note?" Medusa snapped.

Kestrel snorted, glaring at the other angels. "Geez, it seems you can trust no one these days. You want an answer?" Kestrel asked as she turned her head back to Medusa. "Yes. I was the brilliant one who came up with the plan, and I'm proud of it! You deserved nothing less!" She spat at the feet of the monstrous woman and wiped her mouth smugly.

Medusa looked as though she were going to burst a blood vessel. Her snakes tugged at her scalp, each itching for a chance to sink their fangs into the defiant angel girl. Medusa stood, her figure filling the room with fear. "You defaced not only a group of houses but my temple! You are hereby sentenced to death!"

Kuro stared at the teenage angel who glared up to Medusa. She had a lot of courage to stand up to Medusa, and Medusa's verdict barely seemed to change any part of her insolence. She flicked her hair boldly, and spat again at Medusa's feet.

Medusa snarled and turned to Kuro. "Prince Kuro, finish this!"

Kuro felt his heart stop. "W-w-what?"

Medusa grabbed the bow off of Kuro's back and split it into two blades herself. "Prove to me," she hissed, "that you are loyal to me. Kill this bratty girl and show me you mean all the words you say."

Kuro slowly reached out and grabbed the two blades in his hands. The leather chording of the handles felt cold under his grip. He walked down from his post to Kestrel. His movements felt sluggish and slow, as though he were in a dream.

Two guards had taken her hands and locked them with iron fists to the ground. One grabbed at her hair and tugged her head back, leaving her neck exposed. Her breaths came in rattles, her chest heaving for breaths. Her eyes didn't look worried at all, but a wild blue color as though she were a caged animal.

Kuro snuck a glance back at Nighthawk, but for once the angel's face was pinched with worry. He probably hadn't expected this to go so far.

Kuro turned back, holding up his knives he felt his face dripping in sweat. With every step he took, his heart beat faster. His hands trembled, his grip becoming tighter on the handles of his blades.

As he gazed down at the angel girl, he tried to quickly come up with a plan, anything to keep him from the deed he was about to commit. According to Palutena, he had to keep up his act if Palutena was ever going to be free, but…too kill…Kuro had killed more Underworld Monsters than he could count. But he knew that those monsters would one day be reincarnated as monsters again. If he killed Kestrel, she would be gone for good. Nighthawk said that Kestrel and Pit were friends, though Kuro was sure that just about every angel in the Skyworld was friends with Pit. If Kuro killed Kestrel, Pit would never forgive him.

Palutena had once told Kuro that she loved all the angels in the Skyworld; that was why she never gave up hope with Kuro. Hurting Palutena would be like hurting himself, and killing Kestrel was probably not going to make Palutena happy. But he had to keep up the show for Medusa.

_Goddess of Light,_ he prayed as he raised his blades, _forgive me_. He looked one last time at his captive. _I'm so sorry_. He lifted the two blades, closing his eyes tightly, and smoothly let his stroke fall.

* * *

><p>Pit gazed up at the trees in amazement. "These things are…huge! They're bigger than any trees I've ever seen in my life!"<p>

"They're called Sequoias," Ryan answered, "Cool, right?"

"Way cool!"

Ryan dropped his bags on the ground, stretching out slightly. "Alright," he said, turning to Pit who was still staring in amazement at the huge Redwood trees, "Okay, hopefully we won't be disturbed here. So, over the next few days, seeing as that's all the time we seem to have, I'll be putting you through the basics of Judo, Karate, and a couple of flying techniques. I would teach you Kendo, but I think that's a little unnecessary, seeing as you're already pretty good with those knives and you seem to have good control with them already. We'll do Karate and Judo later, but right now, seeing as these trees will be perfect for obstacles, we'll be doing a couple of flying and shooting exercises."

Pit placed his hands on his hips and grinned. "Are you going to teach me to fly better? Because I didn't think you had wings!"

Ryan chuckled. "No, you're probably fine with flying on your own. I'm going to be on the ground chucking stuff up to you. You're going to have to either dodge, grab, or shoot whatever I throw before it hits the ground. Got it?"

Pit pulled off his shirt, which he folded neatly and placed on the ground. He spread out his wings and flapped them, hard. "Got it! I just hope my wings have grown."

Ryan walked around the angel, inspecting his white feathers. "I've only seen your wings once…but they look at least a little larger to me. They seem to definitely be more in proportion with the rest of your body. Maybe your figure has grown too."

Pit rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Well, I have noticed my jeans are starting to get a little too short. Jenny just bought me these ones this morning."

Ryan smiled. "Well, you're probably just hitting a growth spurt. Alright, you take off and I'll start throwing things to you. K'?"

"Awesome!" Pit grabbed his bow from the ground and flared every one of his feathers. He sprung into the air, slamming his wings down as quickly as possible and launching himself into the air. The air beat against the skin on his bare chest and rushed through his hair. Pit closed his eyes and hovered next to the huge trunk of one of the many gigantic trees, breathing in the comfortable air.

"Shoot!"

Pit's eyes flew open and landed on the Frisbee (a freaking amazing game, as Pit had learned from Kaitlyn and Mark) that flipped quickly through the air. Pit hurriedly pulled back the string one his bow, the arrow appearing. He quickly aimed and let go of the string, the arrow shooting through the air. It slammed squarely through the Frisbee and disintegrated as soon as it went through. The Frisbee dropped from the air to the ground and landed, now sporting a clean hole.

Ryan picked up the useless disk and inspected it, clearly impressed. "Wow. Mom told me you were a good shot, but…wow!"

Pit smiled in pride.

"Alright, grab one and hit the other with the first one!" Ryan threw two small balls into the air, high. Pit flared his feathers and quickly glided down. He snagged one ball quickly, and, with the speed and accuracy of a dodge-ball player (another fabulous game), he knocked the second ball off its course and the two went flying into a tree trunk. Pit grinned, and turned back to Ryan. For once, his wings were not tired. His feathers felt sleek and smooth.

"Think fast!" Pit immediately swerved from the small, compact ball that came flying at him. But instead of fully dodging it, he grabbed the ball in his hand. And using the momentum of the ball, he span in a circle and whipped the ball back at Ryan with lightning speed.

Ryan jumped back smoothly, avoiding the meteor of a ball that sunk itself into the soft ground. Ryan dusted the ball off, after plucking it from the small hole it had created with the force of Pit's throw, and put it back into his bag. "Well," he said smoothly, "that was…impressive! Alright, now let's see how your endurance is. We'll keep doing this for a while and see how long you last up there."

Pit gazed down at the ground, a thought suddenly entering his quick mind. "Ryan…how long have I been flying?"

Ryan checked his watch. "Only about ten minutes."

Pit let out a whoop of joy. His wings seemed to respond to his excitement, flapping so hard and so quickly that he was soon slamming his way through the canopies of green leaves from the Redwood trees. He flew into open air, soaring high above the trees. He gave another cry of excitement and dropped from his position. He shot to the ground, but at last minute, stuck his wings out. For once, they caught the air, and he glided down below the canopies again. This was it! This was what he had dreamed about! He was…flying!

**I hate cliffhangers, but I sure as heck love to write them! I'm sorry that I'm having you wait to see what's going on with Kuro...but hey, hopefully it'll make you just beg for the next chapter. My brother calls it "marketing". Whatever.**

**Anyhow, thanks so much for reading. I hope you all loved this chapter and I cannot wait to write the next chapter.  
>And as always, review review review! Oh, and also as always, you can PM me anytime. I will try to get back to you as possible, but I <em>will<em> get back to you!  
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	14. Making Plans

__**Wow, here we are again! I got so many Pms and reviews about Kuro after my last chapter, it made me feel great! I personally think I have the best followers ever! You guys rock! Yes, you too, Demonprincessneko! I'm sorry I didn't mention you last time! I've greatly enjoyed your reviews! They make me smile!  
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**Anyhow, here's the next chapter. Just so you know, this chapter doesn't have nearly as much heartache, actions or anything else like that. This chapter is more of the transition for the next one, which I promise will be more interesting! Enjoy Kuro everyone!  
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_Goddess of Light,_ Kuro prayed as he raised his two silver blades above his head, _forgive me_. He looked one last time at his captive, the female angel, the one that Pit was friends with. _I'm so sorry_. He lifted the two blades, closing his eyes tightly, and smoothly let his stroke fall.

There was a difference between angels and monsters. When an Underworld Monster was killed or destroyed in any way, shape, or form, they apparently were sent to some sort of limbo area, where they would later be reincarnated and start life over again. Kuro had killed more monsters than he could count.

With an angel, it was different. Once killed, an angel stayed dead. They would be gone, forever. There was no reincarnation for angels. If he killed Kestrel, she would be dead, and Pit would never forgive him.

Kuro didn't want to watch what he was doing. He didn't want to see the bright waterfall of blood that would cascade down from her neck when he sliced her thin skin open. He didn't want to feel how easy it was to cut off a source of life from a body. What had he become, that he actually was doing this? Had he sunk so low that to kill was an option? Kuro, for his entire life, had been a loner. He was the independent one that never chose sides. But this time, he _had_ chosen a side. He had sided with Medusa. And look where that had brought him.

He didn't know how close the blades were to the girl's skin when he was stopped, suddenly. Kuro snapped his eyes open, staring down at the two golden long knives that stopped the movement of his own. His eyes slowly drew their way up along a pair of strong, muscular arms with dark skin, then to the face of the angel that held them. Golden eyes flashed at him, warning him to keep quiet. Kuro could only stare.

"General Nighthawk!" Medusa had already gotten to her feet, her slit-like eyes flaring. "What are you doing?"

Nighthawk slowly slid his blades away from Kuro's, his eyes meeting Kuro's with an expression that so clearly said, "Leave this to me." The thought to do anything hadn't even flashed through Kuro's mind. He wasn't even sure if he could lift his blades anymore: every part of him felt numb. He stared at the angel girl, the one he had come so close to killing. Her eyes were wide as she flicked them back and forth between Nighthawk and Kuro.

Nighthawk slowly sheathed his blades, looking up at Medusa with calm eyes, as though he were not the focus of her anger. He bowed deeply. "Your highness, I ask you to reconsider."

The snakes on the woman's head hissed slowly, as though they were confused. "Explain," Medusa seethed through clenched teeth, her aura flickering dangerously.

Nighthawk dipped his head. Kuro had to admit, the dark angel was a fantastic actor. His whole body position suggested complete fealty to the snake-haired goddess. "My queen," he said smoothly, "you understand that the previous general was not only close to the previous goddess, Lady Palutena, but to many of the angels as well. He and this one," he motioned to Kestrel, "were especially close."

"Go on," Medusa said slowly.

"I believe the best plan of action would be to use this angel, as well as Lady Palutena, as bait. There is only one of Pit, and there are two friends that Pit will have to save. The more lives at stake," Nighthawk said with oily sleekness, "the more reason Pit will have to join us."

Medusa's eyes narrowed at the dark angel in front of her. The snakes on her head swirled against one other, their mouths shut for once, as though they were in deep though. Kuro could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he held his breath. He looked back to Kestrel, his red eyes meeting her wild blue. Her gaze met him, as though daring him to say something. He kept his mouth firmly shut. Any misspoken word could have Medusa's mind instantly changed, and that would mean imminent death for Kestrel.

"You might have something there, General," Medusa mused, her long fingernails brushing against her chin.

"And if he doesn't fall for her, we'll kill her then." Nighthawk's expression was empty, as though killing one of Pit's good friends was simple and easy task for him. Kuro could only think otherwise.

Medusa nodded. She raised her hand and pointed to Kestrel. "Kuro, Nighthawk, take the girl down to the caverns. You will find a cage in the lowest section. Leave her there."

Nighthawk bowed again and walked over to Kuro, who was still standing stock still. Kuro felt as though every nerve in his body was dead. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe. The world seemed to move in slow motion. Everything blurred in front of him.

"Come on," Nighthawk's voice slowly dragged its way into Kuro's mind, "help me with her."

Kuro slowly slid his knives back into his belt, his moving abilities having returned to him, and bent down, grabbing one of Kestrel's well muscled arms over his shoulder. Avoiding every gaze that tried to catch his eye and a few puddles of red paint, he slowly helped Nighthawk drag the girl from the temple.

* * *

><p>"Hit it again!"<p>

Pit groaned and slammed his fist into the padded board. Everything hurt, even breathing made his chest hurt. And for him, it was not a feeling he was used to.

It was the third day that Pit had been with Ryan in training, and today was Karate. The day before had been Judo, which Pit had found extremely interesting, but painful when Ryan had thrown him across the room. He had learned through the processes Ryan had put him through about balance, pressure points, and wrestling in general. He had done alright after learning about how to throw someone off balance. But Karate was putting Pit in his place.

Having been only used weapons, such as his blades, and the barest minimum of wrestling when he was trained in Angel Land, Pit's fists, hands, arms, and legs were never really used. He of course had done the usual push-ups and such, but actually hitting into objects was a whole new concept. So slamming his fists into a leather covered board in perfect form over and over was straining more than just Pit's physical capacity: his pride had been seriously hit as well. His first attempt to hit the Makiwara board right had resulted in him dislocating all of his fingers at once. He winced, remembering the pain that laced through his hands as he snapped them all back into place. He was just glad that his bones were naturally harder than an average human's, or they probably would have all been crushed by the power of his blow.

"Alright, let's break," Ryan finally said after Pit had finished with his five hundredth hit.

Pit moaned and fell to his knees, then to his back, shutting his eyes tightly. Sweat poured down his entire body, and he breathed heavily, even if his breaths weren't coming in gasps. His arms flopped useless to his sides. He never thought he could he so tired. He had been through tough training with Nighthawk and Kestrel when they had taught him to use his five-minute flight time efficiently. That had left his wings nearly dead. But now, his arms, his legs, and even his chest were screaming in pain.

Pit screwed open his eyes as he felt a coolness to his hand. Ryan bent over him, a filled water bottle in his hands. Pit groaned as he reached up and grabbed the bottle, opening up the top and pouring a stream of icy water into his mouth.

Ryan, also breathing heavily, flopped down next to Pit. The gym room they had found in Ryan's college was perfect: small, open, and empty of other people. And it was full of training equipment. They had come in earlier the day before to do Judo. And now, they had found enough equipment for Karate.

"I call a Nutella break," Pit said with a sigh.

Ryan chuckled. "Tired?"

"Mmmhmm," Pit moaned, closing his eyes again.

"Well, you're extremely well," Ryan commented, "you have more stamina that just any other teenager I know. Not many teens can pull off five hundred rounds on a Makiwara board on their first day."

"I'm an angel," Pit murmured, "They're all a bunch of humans."

Ryan laughed. "True, true." He paused for a second, looking at the other equipment, "So, since this is our last day—."

"What?" Pit sat straight up, despite his earlier pain. Every muscle in his abdomen screeched to be relaxed again (due to the twenty-five hundred sit-ups from the day before).

Ryan shrugged. "Well, you and Mom are leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Oh…yeah, I guess," Pit said quietly, "but I feel like I still have so much to learn from you. You crushed me at Judo yesterday!"

"Yeah," Ryan smirked, "until I taught you all the pressure points."

Pit drew a hand through his hair, grinning. "Yeah, it was fun to be the thrower and not the thrown!" he paused, his expression somber again. "It's too bad that we've only known each other for a week or so."

"Yeah," Ryan sighed, "I never imagined having a brother for only a week." He smiled. "Well, actually having a brother is new, too."

Pit smiled back. "Yeah, I'm kind of an only child also…I'm gonna miss you, Ryan."

Ryan ruffled the small teen's hair, grinning. "Yeah, I'll miss you too, Pit."

"Maybe Lady Palutena will let me visit sometimes."

"I'd like that, and I think Mom would too."

Pit sighed. "I'm gonna miss Jenny a lot too. She's been awesome."

"Yeah, my mom has a thing with taking in the needy. I think that's why she became a nurse. She likes helping people."

Pit smiled, looking down at his arm, which he had so painfully broken before he met Jenny. She had set the bone in place herself and then bandaged it up. It seemed to long ago, after everything he had been through since then. Jenny had done a good job with him.

He was going to miss her. A lot.

* * *

><p>"Lady Palutena!" Kestrel's voice was amazed as she was led into the deepest cavern, where Palutena's prison was. She actually walked now, the boys having let her walk on her own after getting out of sight of Medusa. She had barely looked at the two after that, holding her head proudly as she walked with dignity down to the caves. "You're here! I thought they took you back to the Underworld!"<p>

Palutena shakily rose to her feet, gazing at the girl with sad eyes. "Oh Kestrel, what happened? Why are you down here?"

Kestrel snorted and gave a scowling look to Nighthawk. "What do you think I did?" she said as Kuro and Nighthawk led her to her cage. "I made a point."

Palutena let out a sigh and gave the angel girl a small smile. "You always were one to be outspoken." She turned to Nighthawk. "What happened up there? When I said spark a revolution, I didn't exactly mean this."

"Why are you asking him?" Kestrel snapped, "He's working for Mad Medusa and the Murderer Prince. The two of them are traitors and a disgrace to race of angels!"

Kuro's temper finally snapped. He was sick and tired of everything, and nearly having to kill someone had basically messed up his thoughts. Everything was in a jumble. And Kuro hated it. "You think I wanted to kill you?" Kuro snapped back, "You think Nighthawk and I _want_ to pretend to work for Medusa? You think it's easy to jump back and forth between sides? Have you ever done it before? You have no idea what you're talking about!"

Kestrel blinked in surprise, her now brown eyes gleaming in the limited light. "Wait…you're not…with Medusa?"

"No!" Kuro said harshly, turning his back from the girl.

Kestrel swallowed as Palutena gazed at Kuro in horror. She spoke with a somber edge to her voice. "Medusa wanted you to kill her? Oh Kuro, I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah," Kuro muttered, "so am I." He slid down the wall closest to Palutena's cage, crossing his arms. He couldn't remember another time that he had been as upset as he was now. In the past few weeks had been afraid, terrified, depressed, angry…but now he felt as though his very being was at stake. Killing another angel, not just a reincarnated monster, but a living being that once it was dead, it would stay dead…he had almost done that. He probably would have hurt his essence so had that scars on his soul may have never healed.

"Palutena," Kuro whispered, "I really am trying. I'm trying so hard to help you, Palutena. But I can't kill someone! I just…can't! Not even for you."

Palutena slid against her bars, reaching out a slim hand and taking Kuro's cold fingers between her warm ones. She gazed at him with loving eyes. "I never expected you to. That's why I have a new plan."

"What?" Nighthawk knelt down next to the two of them and Kestrel leaned against her own bars.

Palutena rose to her feet, her aura glowing brighter. "The time for the battle has come. And I believe now is the time to get Pit."

"Is he ready, though?" Nighthawk asked. "Are his wings grown?"

"Yes," the group was startled that Kuro chose to answer, "his wings are full length, or full enough. He can fly. I know he can," he gave a small smile, "and Pit is definitely not dead."

Palutena's smile was radiant. "Good. Then we can wait no longer. Kuro, I want you to go down, find Pit, and bring him back. When he arrives, the battle begins, so time it correctly."

Kuro was startled and immediately threw his hands into the air in protest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…hold on. Me? Find Pit? In case you didn't notice, Pit doesn't exactly trust or like me, not after what I did to you, Palutena," he pointed to the dark angel next to him, "Nighthawk knows Pit well. Let him go. Pit trusts him, at least."

Palutena shook her head, her long hair swishing behind her. "Trust is exactly the problem. I need Nighthawk here, to prepare the angels for war. The angels here, despite his apparent changing of sides, trust him to speak for me as long as I give the word. They wouldn't listen to you. Pit will follow you if I say so. And also, from what you told me, Medusa sent her army of Shadow Angels after Pit."

"She has more," Kuro said quietly.

Palutena nodded. "I would have been surprised if she didn't have more, but seeing as you're a Shadow Angel yourself, you might have an advantage over the ones attacking Pit. You should be able to protect him better than he should be able to protect himself."

Kuro sighed. What the goddess said made sense, no matter how much he disliked the prospect of meeting with Pit face to face. "But how will I be able to convince Pit that you sent me and I'm not coming to attack him?"

Palutena slowly slid something off her upper right arm and placed it in Kuro's palm. He held the weighty armband, still warm from contact with her skin. A tiny ruby was embedded on the upper area of the ring, which shone like fire. Kuro slowly slid the armband over his own arm. The thick gold band fit neatly over his muscled upper arm. He smiled as the new weight balanced over his arm. It was beautiful.

"If Pit knows me the way I know him," she said with a small smile, "then I'd show him this. He'll recognize it."

"So…" Kestrel said sharply, upset over her lack of directions, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well," Palutena smiled, "since we're stuck in here together, you and I are going to brainstorm strategies and ideas for the battle."

Kestrel's wide smile was malicious as she rubbed her hands together. "Brilliant. Planning a downfall for the snake-faced freak sounds like fun!"

* * *

><p>Pit adjusted his backpack over his shoulders, gazing out the windows of the terminal. It seemed that the cold had finally hit the sunny place of California. And he was going back to somewhere even colder.<p>

"Thanks for visiting, Mom," Ryan said quietly as he hugged Jenny tightly.

Jenny smiled. "Thank you for allowing an extra person to come along," she said, giving her son a kiss to the forehead, which she had to stand on her tiptoes to do.

"Anything for my mom and my new brother," Ryan smiled. Pit smiled back, feeling a tinge of sadness.

This could very well be the last time he saw Ryan. The blond haired twenty-five year old had become a rock-like base in his life as a human. The young adult was fun, smart, and a great teacher, and Pit had learned a lot under him. Pit had enjoyed himself, despite still being extremely sore: his muscles were tight and he was constantly stretching them out.

Ryan ruffled Pit's hair affectionately. "I'm going to miss you a lot, little bro."

Pit grinned and gave a flying leap into Ryan's arms. He hugged the adult tightly. "I'm gonna miss you too, big bro."

Ryan slowly let the angel boy down. "I hope your flight goes well. And Pit, be safe. Don't so anything stupid or out of your league. And visit if you can. We still have a lot of training to get through before you're a master of martial arts!"

Pit grinned. "Of course, Master Ryan," he said, bowing deeply. He came up and the two laughed. Despite his outward cheer, though, Pit felt his heart ache at the goodbye, because he knew it was the first of many still to come.

**If you amazing fans follow me to my next subcategory on my next story, I will probably have the most reviews in that category too! You guys all rock, especially for staying with me this long! You guys are awesome! So, as always, please review and tell me what you liked and didn't like. And remember, the next chapter will be more interesting, promise. Kuro and Pit might actually see each other...do you want to see that? Well, tell me!  
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**~pixeljam  
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	15. Depends on Your Definition of Date

**I have officially gotten over 13,000 hits on my story! You guys ROCK! Thank you all so much for your reading, your reviews, and your PMs! It's scary that I only have about three or four more chapters to go! Wow...anyways, to all you who have been asking if Viridi will be making an appearance in my story. To tell you the truth, probably not. She might randomly appear later on, but I highly doubt it. So, sorry! **

**Anyways, here's my next chapter! Thanks for everything you guys have done and all the reviews! My story is still the most popular by reviews, favorites, and followers. And it could not have happened without all of you! Give yourselves a pat on the back! You guys are awesome!  
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**By the way, Alondra, thanks for your review! So, your name means "The Protector of Mankind" but in what language? I'd love to use it, but I'd like to know that first! Thanks! And Jayk, thanks for your review too! Kuro's name came from my sister, who is big into fandoms of all sorts and learned that "Kuro" was the first part of Dark Pit's Japanese name, which I would write down for you if I remembered the whole name. It also means "black" in Japanese.  
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**Thanks so much!  
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"So, who was your favorite character?" Pit said, grabbing another handful of popcorn and crunching down on the buttery deliciousness.

Kaitlyn's blond curls stopped bouncing as she paused and thought for a second. "Hawkeye."

Pit grinned. "No way! Me too!"

Kaitlyn's smile lit her face like a light bulb as the two walked out the large glass doors and onto the dark empty sidewalk. Pit had gotten back from California only days before, and now he fulfilling his promise to Kaitlyn: seeing a movie. And what a movie it had been. Pit smiled at Kaitlyn's joyful expression. The girl seemed to light up the night air, making it warm in spite of the chill. "He reminded me a lot of you."

Pit blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Kaitlyn grinned. "Despite him being evil for half the movie, he can hit anything with a bow, like you."

Pit held back a sigh. _If only you knew the half of it_. His feathers flared ever so slightly in response to his words. Evil side, archery, powers…Kaitlyn had no idea what she was talking about. Even if he told her, she wouldn't believe him.

Kaitlyn's fingers slowly found his hand and wove their way into his own. Pit felt his cheeks flush slightly, and then he grew sad. He really liked her, the beautiful girl with the blond curls that had grown to trust him. But he knew that she would just be another person he would have to face when saying goodbye. How would she react?

"Thank you for the great night," she whispered, her fingers warm against his.

Pit gave her a small smile. "Well, thanks for giving me a chance!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Jenny had given it to him only that morning and he had spent the whole day figuring out how it worked. "So, what—."

Pit was cut off as he wrenched from Kaitlyn's side and thrown to the ground. His cell phone flew from his hand and skittered across the sidewalk into the street. He groaned as his skull slammed into the hard concrete, a pair of hands pressing his shoulders down to the ground.

"Pit!" Kaitlyn's scream pierced the air. Pit struggled against the hands that bound him. He took a deep breath, slowly remembering what Ryan had taught him about Judo. _Pressure points_, Pit thought slowly_, and balance_.

Pit grabbed the wrists of the hands that held him and jabbed his thumbs in between the thin bones right below the hand. The fingers loosened ever so slightly, and that was exactly what Pit needed. He flipped up his legs and slammed his feet into his attacker's chest. He heard the person grunt as the breath left their lungs and they were thrown from Pit's body. Pit hurried to his feet, and turned to Kaitlyn, her face stricken, but hard with fierce anger.

He pushed her towards the doors of the theater. "Get inside and stay there."

"No," she snapped, "I'm staying here with you. I can fight."

And Pit sure as heck didn't doubt it. But he pushed her with more urgency. "Get inside and call Jenny. If I know what's happening, and I'm pretty sure I do, then we're in for more than one attacker. Just stay out of sight!"

Before Kaitlyn could reply, Pit was slammed back first into the brick wall beside the glass door. The hands grabbed him tightly at the throat. Pit struggled for air.

"My mistress will be most pleased with your death, traitor," the voice hissed.

Pit snarled. "Oh yeah? Well you tell Medusa that she has a pretty screwed view on life!" He reached into his jacket and whipped out his blades, stabbing them both into the Shadow Angel's stomach. The angel screeched and released Pit. Pit whipped the two blades out as the darkness started collecting around the wound and hurriedly clicked them together into a bow. He quickly drew back the now existing string and shot an arrow of light right into the angel's face.

The angel screamed as it disintegrated before Pit's eyes. Before long, the shadows had consumed the body and no trace of the angel of darkness was left.

Pit breathed heavily. He hadn't actually thought it would be that easy. But it made sense that if the face was hit, especially at full force like that, than everything else would get extremely messed up.

Pit slowly slid his jacket off and let out his long wings. The oil on his feathers seemed to catch the light coming from a nearby lamppost. They reflected the light in darker places, where the normal light didn't hit. It was no surprise that they had picked the night for a battle.

"There's darkness everywhere," Pit breathed out his last thoughts, gazing around him.

"Exactly."

The hair on Pit's neck stood on end as he heard not one voice, but many all speaking the same exact word at the same time. It sounded as though a thousand beetles were hissing as one. Pit watched with growing horror as from every wall on the block, from every shadow formed a Shadow Angel. They kept their wings out, the oily black feathers seeming as though they had been spun from the shadows themselves. They shone with beauty, but death.

Pit split his bow back in half, holding the two golden and blue blades loosely at his sides. He breathed deeply, calming himself as Ryan had taught him to do before a fight. If this were still one on one, he would probably drop the swords and grapple the person to death, but in this case, it was a little harder.

"You are supposed to be dead!" one of them snapped, their voice quick but not betraying any emotion, as Pit remembered from his last battle.

"And you're not even supposed to exist," Pit snapped back, raising his blades ever so slightly. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do now, except maybe smart talk them. He was fully surrounded now, by at least twelve Shadow Angels. Their coloration was identical, but Pit could tell which ones were female and which ones were male, as well as a difference in their hair styles and heights. They held their bows on their backs, but Pit knew that with one move, they would be in their hands and ready to fire.

Pit breathed quietly as his surveyed his situation. Any move he made would end up with probably imminent death for him. And any moment, the angels would strike. If he didn't move fast, he would either be skewered with blades or arrows, one of the two. What he had trained for with Ryan was most likely not going to help him, not if he was alone.

Suddenly, one of the angels clenched and choked. The angels turned and watched with interest as the Shadow Angel fell to its knees, a black expression on its face and shadows pouring from a hole in its back and seemingly forming a wall of darkness. If Pit hadn't been so interested himself, he probably would have found that with all the attention off him, that was probably a perfect time to run. But Pit being Pit was too interested himself to have paid any attention.

When the wall of darkness finally died, another angel drew to the light, taking the place of the fallen one. His eyes, unlike the others', were a deep blood red. His dark hair was ruffled, and his toga was slightly skewed. But Pit easily recognized him.

"Are you here to kill me too?" Pit snarled, his fists tightening around the grips on his blades.

His darker side didn't answer, but merely gazed upon the other Shadow Angels.

"You kill your own kind, Prince Kuro," one of the angels said, her expression still blank, but growing darker, "Do you betray us as this one has?" She motioned to Pit.

Kuro's expression drew darker as well as he frowned. "Depends on your definition of betrayal."

One of the Shadow Angels growled in anger and rushed Kuro. Kuro whipped out his long silver blades and stabbed that one as well.

And that was what put the other angels off.

As one, the Shadow Angels took flight, throwing themselves into the air. They shot to the sky, their wings barely beating.

Kuro turned his gaze on Pit, his eyes worried, an expression Pit had never seen in his darker half before. "We have to shoot them down or they'll alert Medusa!"

Pit gave Kuro a long look. He definitely did not trust his dark side, much less did he want to help him in any way, but he was right: if Medusa found out about Kuro killing the Shadow Angels, then she would send more to eliminate both him and Pit.

"I can try, but my arrows don't kill Shadow Angels."

"But I can. You slow them down and I'll kill them." And with that, Kuro took to the skies.

Pit nodded and threw himself into the air. He soared to the top of a large building and planted himself there, pulling back his bowstring. He breathed out deeply and released, a split second after he took aim. The arrow hit straight and true, the angel faltering in its flight as the arrow slammed into its gut. But before it could begin to regenerate itself, a streak of black slammed itself against the angel. The two engaged in a quick battle, and the Shadow Angel was soon engulfed in shadowy flames.

The two halves took each angel down the same way, with an arrow to distract them and a blade in their body. Pit, despite himself, had to admit that his dark side had a real advantage over the shadows. His blades took the Shadow Angels out immediately, not having to worry about them healing themselves.

Pit raised his bow one last time and shot his final arrow. He didn't take the time to watch Kuro take down the last angel, he already knew how it would end. He instead strung his bow over his shoulder and slowly glided his way back down to the front of the theatre. He breathed a sigh of exhaustion. Physically, he had been through more in his training with Ryan during his time in California, but mentally, he felt dead. He wanted nothing more than to fall onto his bed and rest, but he had more important matters to attend to.

Kuro landed next to him, giving him a small smile. Pit couldn't help but growl back. He grabbed the angel by the scarf and drew him close, his eyes flashing. "I'm not sure if I should be thanking you for helping me," he snapped, "or killing you as well for nearly murdering Lady Palutena!"

Kuro's eyes were wide in surprise. It was an expression that nearly had Pit let go in his own surprise. His darker half's face was calm, serene almost, and for once not evil, cruel, or seething in quiet rage. No, now his eyes shone with a sense of nervousness. Kuro nervous? It was enough to make Pit shake his head in shock.

Kuro gently pried himself away, adjusting his scarf. "Look, I know you're angry at me. But Palutena—."

"Lady Palutena to you," snarled Pit.

Kuro sighed. "_Lady_ Palutena sent me to get you."

Pit snorted. "Liar. You're with Medusa, remember? You nearly killed the goddess, you jerk."

Kuro sighed again. "I know. And I'm sorry. But here. She gave me this to prove that I'm not lying." He drew his hand along his upper arm and drew something down and into his hand. Pit must have completely overlooked it, because he could not remember Kuro ever having worn it before. It was a thick, golden band and on the upper area was a tiny ruby. Pit gently took it from Kuro's outstretched hand.

"Recognize it?" Kuro said softly.

Pit blinked as his memories churned within his mind.

_A much younger Pit sat next to Palutena, his large blue eyes gleaming as he asked her what each piece of her jewelry mean and where she had gotten it from. He slowly touched the thick band that rested on her upper right arm, the small ruby glowing in the bright light._

"_What about this one?" He asked with his small voice._

_Palutena gently fingered it, her smile warm. "My father, Lord Zeus, gave it to me after my sixteenth birthday."_

"_Wow!" Pit said in surprise, "That was a long time ago!"_

_Palutena chuckled. "Stop! You're going to make me feel old!"_

_Pit gave her a genuine smile. "But I think you're beautiful."_

_Palutena's smile was wide. "You're so sweet. Now, my father gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday. The carvings are symbols of family and connection, and the ruby was picked because of its red color. Red represents love."_

Pit blinked as he inspected the gold. It was Palutena's all right. And she would have defended it from Medusa. There was no doubt about it: Palutena had given it to Kuro.

Pit handed it back, looking slightly suspicious as he gazed upon Kuro, who slid the gold back on his arm. "But why would she send you?"

Kuro gave a small smile as he sighed. For Pit, it was another first: Kuro smiled. "I actually asked her the same thing. She said it was because I can kill Shadow Angels, and because she needed Nighthawk for something else. Believe me, I wasn't exactly ecstatic about the idea either. She told me to stay down here with you until we go up."

"Which is when?"

Kuro looked like he was about to answer before he shut his mouth and gazed around warily. "Is there somewhere else less open that we can talk? Being this open—."

"More Shadow Angels could find us," Pit finished, nodding. "Yeah, we'll head back to—," he stopped, "Oh my gosh, Kaitlyn!"

He whipped around, ignoring the confused expression on Kuro's face, and hurried back to the theatre. He threw open the doors, and ran into the lobby area. "Kaitlyn, where are you?"

"Pit, are you alright?" Kaitlyn hurried over to him, gazing at his arms which were riddled with scratches from the first fight.

"I'm okay," he said with a sigh or relief, "how about you? When's Jenny coming?"

"I'm fine. Jenny will be here any minute," her face was worried, "Who was that? What happened? I was talking on the phone: I didn't see anything!"

She gripped him in a tight hug. Pit was about to hug her back when she grew stiff against his body. His eyes widened as he felt her fingers draw slowly along his wings, feeling every feather. His jacket, he had forgotten to put it back on!

Slowly, ever so slowly, Kaitlyn drew away. Her eyes were wide, blank, as she stared at Pit. Pit looked around, making sure the lobby was empty before he drew out his white feathered wings to their full extent. Kaitlyn's mouth shaped a perfect "O" as she gazed at his powerful limbs.

Pit bit his lower lip. "I really wish I could explain, but I don't think you'd believe me."

* * *

><p>The ride home was the most awkward one Pit had ever been in. As soon as Jenny arrived, she wanted to know exactly what happened and how Pit was attacked. She basically made no comment about Kuro but ushered him into the car as though she knew he would be there.<p>

Jenny had Kaitlyn in the front seat next to her, and Pit and Kuro had taken the back. Unlike Pit's first time in a car, Kuro found no excitement in the moving vehicle. He merely stared gloomily out of the window and watched the buildings zoom by. Pit did the same on his side. He had nothing really to talk about anyways. It was a silent ride home.

Pit hopped out of the car and opened Kuro's door for him. He then walked over to Jenny's window and waited as she rolled it down. She wrestled with her keychain a bit before handing Pit the house key. "Go and get ready for bed and get your friend acquainted, alright? I'm going to take Kaitlyn home. I'll be back in an hour, alright?"

Pit nodded and took the keys, watching as the car drove away. He glanced at Kuro, meeting his gaze. "Come on, Pitoo," he said quietly, "this is my house."

Kuro met his gaze. "If I've asked you this once, I've asked you it a hundred times. Can you please stop calling me that?"

Pit gave him a grin as they walked through the yard and up the concrete steps to the house. "Yeah, but I think that's the first time you've asked me without being angry!"

Kuro gave a half smile. "Well, I guess that's true."

Pit pushed his way into house after fiddling with the key. The door swung open neatly and the two angels walked in. "Nice place," Kuro said quietly, "who was that person in the box thing that took us here?"

"Who, the woman with the orange hair?"

"Yeah, her."

"Oh, that's Jenny. This is actually her house. I'm just staying here."

Kuro blinked in surprise. "She let you stay here?"

Pit smiled. "Yeah. Come on into my room. I'll find you something to wear."

Kuro looked down at his toga. "But this fits fine."

Pit grinned. "I've been in the human world longer than you have, Pi…Dark Pit. And you need to look more human."

Kuro raised an eyebrow. "But why would I want to look like a human?"

Pit sighed. Was this how Jenny felt, having to explain things to Pit all the time? "It's…complicated. Just come on."

* * *

><p>Kuro shot upright on the couch he'd been laying on, breathing heavily. He swallowed hard, forcing the knot in his throat to go away. He bit away tears. He had thought that they were gone forever, the nightmares. But now they were back. He took a deep breath, his power over his motions failing so much that he shuddered as he did so. After he had met Palutena, the nightmares had gone away. Why were they coming back? Kuro blinked a few times, coming back into control of his body, and looked around him.<p>

Jenny and Pit had set him up in what they called the "living room" for the night, but he couldn't sleep, lest he be awakened by nightmares every few hours. It felt wrong to be somewhere like this being helped by someone else that wasn't Palutena. He gazed up above him at the white ceiling above him. Everything in this house was strange to him, even the couch that he was on was covered in a strange fabric that he wasn't used to. It was smooth and cool, unlike the woven pillows in his room on Angel Land which had a rougher feeling. The blanket over him was heavy and thick, but comfortable in the cold room. The clothes on him also felt strange. The long sleeves swished around his wrists and the neckline made him feel enclosed.

"Hey, you can't sleep either?"

Kuro twisted sharply to face Pit, who stood over the other couch across from Kuro. His brown hair was a tousled mess, but that was normal. He wore basically what Kuro wore, except maybe the fabric was a different pattern.

Kuro shook his head, watching Pit in the limited light. Pit walked over to a small table and moved his hand along a small pole. Suddenly, light flashed into the room. Kuro snapped his eyes shut at the contrast. Slowly, he opened them again, allowing his eyes to adjust.

"Sorry," Pit said with a grin, "I should have warned you."

"It's fine," Kuro said gruffly, rubbing his eyes.

Pit slowly walked over and sat on the couch, across from Kuro. His blue eyes searched Kuro's face, meeting his red ones. Kuro gazed back before looking down again. It was strange for the two of them to be in the same room without attacking each other, smart mouthing one another, or even speaking in general. The silence was strange and unnerving.

Pit finally broke the silence, much to Kuro's relief. "So…just one question…if I'm not supposed to call you Pitoo, then what am I supposed to call you? Tip? Ptooey?"

Kuro almost rolled his eyes in the ridiculousness of Pit's ideas. "Call me Kuro."

"Kuro?"

Kuro nodded.

Pit blinked. "Where did you get that name?"

Kuro looked down at his nails, not wanting to make eye contact with Pit. "Medusa…I'm her prince."

Pit's eyes widened. "Her…prince?"

Kuro nodded, his mouth tight and thin. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Pit nodded slowly back. "Hey, Kuro," he gave a smile as he said his new name, "You look…different since I last saw you."

Kuro blinked. "How so?"

"You seem…calmer," Pit said.

Kuro chuckled slightly. "That would be Palutena's influence."

"How _is_ Palutena doing?" Pit said with a grin.

Kuro felt his face relax into a smile. "She's well. At least, I think so. She was when I last saw her. Medusa's got her in the caverns."

Pit cocked his head. "The…caverns?"

Kuro glanced at Pit. "A lot of things have changed, Pit. When you come back, a lot of things will be different."

"Why did Palutena send you here? And when did you even start talking to her? You never liked Palutena."

Kuro have a small sigh of laughter as he smiled. "It just after I was named a prince by Medusa. I didn't want to deal with her anymore, not after what she did to the other angels—."

"What did she do to them?" Pit said suddenly.

Kuro sighed. "Well, you met the Shadow Angels. Medusa created them from the real angels. It was like seeing the Mirror of Truth all over again…" Kuro cut off, shivering slightly, before berating himself for his show of weakness. He crossed his arms and scowled. "I hate that stupid pane of glass."

Pit gently touched Kuro's shoulder, giving him a small smile. "Is that why you're awake?"  
>Kuro blinked. "What?"<p>

"Nightmares…about the Mirror of Truth."

Kuro couldn't stop himself from nodding, much to his pride's distaste. "The freakish…stupid…" He let out a sigh and buried his face in his hands. "I haven't had nightmares in weeks, not since I met Palutena. But…I guess it's too far for her to influence my dreams now."

He felt Pit's hand leave his shoulder. "She really changed you, didn't she."

Kuro nodded. "Yeah…she's amazing. Hey Pit?'

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I've been a jerk to you."

Pit shrugged. "Hey, you're just independent, that's all. You don't like to take sides, and I think that can be really great if there's really no one good to side with."

Kuro snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I picked a side in this battle, and look what happened!"

Pit gazed over at Kuro, his blue eyes glittering. "After all this is over, will you stay with us…in Angel Land?"

Kuro shrugged, not really wanting to answer. "I'll probably be in the Skyworld, but not in Angel Land."

"Why not?"

Kuro's red eyes met Pit's, fiercely illuminating the light. "You see what happens when I pick sides! Everything is thrown out of balance and people get hurt! I don't want to hurt the Skyworld any more than I have. If I stay with you guys, I'll mess something else up, I always do. My very existence messed up your life. How many other things will I do wrong?"

Pit swallowed, gazing sadly at the dark angel in front of him. "You don't mess everything up! From what you've said, Palutena sure doesn't seem to mind you."

Kuro shivered. "And she's the one I specifically don't want to hurt."

Pit sighed slowly. "Well, I wish I could help. I know what Jenny would say, though!"

Kuro looked up slowly. "What?"

Pit smiled. "She'd say 'Don't worry today about what comes tomorrow'."

Kuro's mouth twitched into a grin. "Wise woman, that Jenny. She's got a lot of spunk. A lot like that little blond thing that was with you tonight." Kuro gave a teasing smile to Pit.

Pit's cheeks flushed slightly and he gave an embarrassed grin. "Kaitlyn. Dang, she's awesome."

Kuro grinned. "Well, she's cute, I'll give her that. What were you two even doing?"

"We were on a date."

Kuro cocked his head. "What does fruit have anything to do with this?"

Pit could only laugh.

**Wow, Kuro has changed a lot since the beginning of the story! I love to see how he's grown. He's such a great character. **

**So I added in the "Mirror of Truth" here because I thought it might be important. For all you who don't know, the Mirror of Truth was used to create Dark Pit, but since Pit broke it during the process, Dark Pit was an independent being with no loyalties. So, it helped that Kuro might still be in thought about it.**

** Anyhow, thanks again for reading! Only three or so chapters to go! So please review and tell me how you liked it! Friends of mine are already telling me what they think should happen at the end. You can join that group too! Tell me what's going through your heads! I like to listen!  
><strong>

**~pixeljam  
><strong>


	16. The Unexamined Life

**More chapters! (*sighs*) Wow, this took me too long. Sorry for the week of no writing. I was in driver's ed and it took up WAY too much time. And now I'm starting school ;( So my updates might take a little more time now. **

**Alondra: Thanks so much for your reviews! They have so much fun to get and read! I will use your name someday! **

**PITFANGIRL: Good point on Pit being a mammal, I wasn't really thinking about that. I used "hatchling" to describe the younger angels because I was thinking of feathers and birds (*shrugs*). It just seems to work, seeing as their wings have to grown and all.**

**dahr: Yes, I will finish this story!**

**Thanks also to all you new people who have started following me! You are all welcome here!**

**And as always, thank you to Dragonguy54321, my faithful Beta, who is amazing in editing! Thanks so much!**

Kuro couldn't remember when he fell asleep. But he sure as heck knew he had when he awoke to voices.

"I have to study tonight for the math test I have tomorrow."

"Well this is the first I've heard of it! What is it on?"

"How to measure buildings with shadows, though why anyone would need to know that is beyond me. Who would need to know something like that anyways?"

"Builders, architects, landscapers—."

"Humans?"

"Basically. Now hurry up or you'll be late. It was awfully nice of Mark to offer to pick you up for the week."

"Yeah, he's great. I'll see you later, Jenny!"

"Be safe, Pit!"

It was such a simple conversation, yet Kuro could feel some sort of depth to it. Maybe it was the fact that the two could converse so normally. It was a strange feeling to Kuro, who had been living in a society of anger and hatred for so long. Listening to this felt almost refreshing.

Kuro sat up and watched the door slam behind Pit, who raced out of the house. He blinked. Where was Pit going and at such a speed? Kuro slid to his feet slowly. His toes curled into the thick fabric covering the ground. It felt comforting.

"Good morning, Kuro."

Kuro whipped his head around to face the woman who had taken Pit and himself in. She had introduced herself as Jenny, Kuro remembered. She was a tall, slender woman with long orange-red hair that was pulled back behind her head. Her face, clear and well formed, was blemished only by as set of wrinkles on her forehead.

Kuro sucked in a breath, the hair on his neck standing on end. The woman's eyes…they were green, but not just an average green…they were the exact shade of green that Palutena's eyes were. He stared deeply into those eyes. The more that he looked at Jenny, the more she started to look like Palutena: both of the women had the same slender frame, and their skin was around the same shade. Even their faces were nearly identical, except for the fact that Jenny looked older, even though Kuro knew Palutena was the older one by far. But the wrinkles added a sense of wisdom, as though Jenny had earned every one of those wrinkles from hard work.

Jenny smiled and walked over to Kuro, her eyes sparkling. "I know I already introduced myself yesterday, but in case you forgot, my name is Jenny Shoner. I'm Pit's guardian. Your name is Kuro, correct?"

Kuro nodded slowly, dipping his gaze from hers.

Jenny continued to smile. "Here, come in and have some breakfast. Then we can head out."

_Head out?_ Kuro didn't voice his question, as usual. He would figure it out eventually. He always did.

So he slowly walked after the woman into the kitchen. The furniture was strange in this house. Much of the furniture was made from wood, and other materials. So far, Kuro had seen no marble, which was very odd. In the Skyworld, everything was marble, or just about.

"Sit at the table and I'll get you something to eat."

Kuro slid onto a hard wooden chair, his chest at the table's height. He gazed around him, his quick, flitting eyes taking in everything his mind could comprehend. Many of the objects were confusing and Kuro had absolutely no idea how they might work of what they were used for.

Suddenly Kuro stopped dead as he took a quick breath through his nose. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. It was smooth and warm and that something smelled…fabulous. Kuro felt himself slowly relax. It smelled…minty.

"What is that?" He finally asked quietly.

Jenny turned to him from her position over a large, box-like metal object, her expression slightly confused. "What?"

Kuro inhaled again. "That mint smell."

Jenny looked to a cup next to her, surprised. "My mint tea. I usually drink it in the morning. Would you like some?"

Kuro couldn't stop himself from nodding. He hadn't smelt anything so fresh since before Medusa came to Angel Land, and he wanted it.

Jenny took the cup and slid it in front of the dark angel. Kuro bent over the cup and breathed deeply. The smell ignited sudden memories, ones of green hills and life. Kuro sighed in contentment. He took a slow drink of the hot liquid. The burning water scalded his throat, but the taste overpowered any discomfort. Kuro nearly rolled his shoulders back in enjoyment.

"I would never have guessed that you liked tea," Jenny commented from her position, "Pit never showed any interest in tea."

"You'll find," Kuro said slowly and quietly as he took another drink, "that Pit and I have a lot of differences."

Jenny nodded. "So I've heard from Pit. He told me about you last night, after you went to sleep."

Kuro blinked, though not really surprised. Pit loved to talk.

Jenny slid a plate of fried eggs with a piece of toasted bread covered with something brown next to it in front of Kuro. Jenny then sat across from Kuro, a cup of her own tea in her hand. Kuro gave her a quick glance, surprised to see her eyes, suddenly sad, gazing down at him.

"I am so sorry," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

Kuro was startled. He shifted his gaze around the room, looking for unseen assassins. What was she apologizing for? He looked back at Jenny, his gaze even. "What for?"

"For what you've had to deal with. Pit told me about your life and your struggles, and I'm so sorry it had to happen to such a sweet person."

Kuro felt his face nearly flush. The only person who had said anything that genuinely kind to him was Palutena. Kuro didn't even know humans could be so nice. But this woman seemed to actually care for him in the way that Palutena did. She apparently didn't care that he had on quite a few occasions nearly killed the angel she had taken in to her home, nor that he had made a long series of bad mistakes in his past. But here she was, someone that Kuro barely knew, nearly shedding tears over him. It made Kuro almost feel…guilty. So instead of answering, he picked up his fork and took a bite of the eggs prepared for him. A salty taste flowed through his mouth. But it made him feel almost worse, even though the food was great. It was as though he were rubbing the salt into a wound.

Jenny gave a long sigh and took another sip of her tea. "So, Kuro," she said, the tears in her eyes dried, "how are you and Pit different?"

Kuro rolled his eyes and swallowed. "In just about every aspect you could possibly think of."

Jenny's lips upturned into a smile. "Except for how you look."

Kuro scowled slightly and self-consciously raised a hand to his scruffy hair to gently flatten down the wild fluff. Without his laurel wreath or glass crown, his head felt unusually light and airy. "Everything except that."

"I'm sorry," Jenny said hurriedly, "I didn't mean to offend you!"

Kuro shook his head. "It's all right. I'm just kind of sick and tired of people comparing me and Pit."

"And you should!" Jenny smiled. "You're your own person, and you're unique. I was only trying to figure out what I should assume about you, just so I know you better."

Kuro gave her a small smile, actually surprising himself in the process. Smiling at new people was a rarity. "Well then, assume that I'm a darker, more thoughtful version of Pit. I'm also quite a bit more conservative than he is."

Jenny nodded. "Then I guess we're going to have to go shopping."

Kuro cocked his head slightly, eyebrow raised. "And…why might that be?"

"I assume Pit already explained why you need to act and look like a human?"

Kuro nodded.

Jenny motioned to Kuro's clothes. "Well, pajamas are for sleeping only. We'll have to find you something else. And since you're a little bit darker than Pit, in complexion and attitude, I really can't expect you to wear what he does. So we'll have to go and buy you something that suits you."

Kuro blinked. "But, I'll most likely only be here for a few days."

Jenny shrugged. "But you need something as well. Your toga and racing suit won't do. It's way too conspicuous. And anyways, I live alone: I don't need much to live on. I'm happy to spend the money on a friend of Pit's."

Kuro dipped his head. "Then I thank you."

Jenny smiled. She motioned to the bread in Kuro's hand, as he had finished the eggs and was starting on the bread. "Do you like that?"

Kuro looked down at the bread he had just taken a huge bite out of. The brown spread slid over his taste-buds in a silky smooth, creamy way. The sweetness was delicious and the consistency of the thick cream was almost comforting.

"It's called Nutella." Jenny took a large jar from a cabinet and set it in front of her. "Pit eats this stuff by the jar full."

Kuro gave an apathetic shrug of his shoulders. "It's alright." He finished the bread as slowly as his craving taste-buds would allow. As he swallowed his last bite, his yes shifted to the jar. So much more deliciousness…Kuro heaved a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he motioned to Jenny. "Just hand me the jar already."

* * *

><p>"So I never got the chance to ask," Mark said as the two entered the school building, "how was your date with Kaitlyn?"<p>

Pit bit his lip. Of all the questions in the world, that was the one he had been hoping Mark would forget to ask. Pit brushed back his hair with a long sigh. "Well—."

"Hey, look," Mark suddenly interrupted, pointing down the hallway, "there's Kaitlyn! Hey, Kaitlyn!" He waved to the pretty blonde.

Kaitlyn glanced in their direction for a split second. Her green eyes were sharp and cold. "Good morning, Mark," was all she said before she disappeared from view in the mess of people.

Mark's hand fell and he looked at Pit with a wince in his eyes. "That bad, huh?"

"Yeah," Pit's answer was short and slightly tart. He didn't want to sound bitter, and he knew he couldn't really blame Kuro for what happened, seeing as the shadow angel had saved his life, but he was still rather upset that he had been attacked in the first place. That stupid Medusa had ruined his night and his relationship with Kaitlyn, and if he hadn't already been ticked off at her, then now he was seriously furious. The snake-headed goddess ruined just about everything.

Mark's face was sympathetic. "I'm sorry, man. I really thought Kaitlyn and you had a thing going. You're the only guy she's stayed with this long."

Pit nodded slowly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

_Oh, and have you shunning me too? Sure, totally!_ "Not really."

Mark clapped Pit on the back. "You guys'll work it out, I know you will! I mean, you have to talk sometime today."

Pit snorted. "Yeah, try telling her that."

Mark blinked. "No, I mean you really will."

Pit raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Well, you two are partners in Greek right?"

_Oh crap!_

* * *

><p>Kuro scowled down at the bright clothes he wore. The pure white t-shirt he guessed <em>could<em> have been worse, and the blue pants were alright. The sandals fit comfortably, which were nice, but Kuro had flat out refused the orange and red jacket that happened to be Pit's as well. Jenny was concerned about the chilly air outside and how warm Kuro would be. So Kuro had consented to his black scarf and a bright green "windbreaker", as Jenny called it, which covered his wings fully. He almost shrugged. Green was better than orange any day.

"How about this one?"

Kuro and Jenny had been shopping for nearly an hour, and Kuro was already sick and tired of the clothes. Life in Angel Land and just about everywhere else _but_ Earth was so simple: just about every set of clothes you owned were identical, except for clothes for special occasions. But here, it seemed you needed a different colored outfit every day.

So Kuro consented to watching the people that passed him by. From what he had seen, humans were a very strange species. So far, he had seen hair colors that he was sure were not natural, both men and women with so many piercings on their face that it was disgusting, and clothes so tight and so small that Kuro had seen way more than he had wanted to. It was rather disturbing.

Kuro turned back to the dark green t-shirt that Jenny held up. He knew that she was trying to find things that he would look good in and would hide his large black wings, but so far, all of the shirts she had found were made of thick material, or had a collar of some sort, both of which Kuro did not like.

Jenny gave a sigh. "Alright, we'll keep looking." And she did.

Kuro returned to his earlier position, looking around him. But when he was about to look directly at another group of people walking by, his eye caught hold of something else. It was a large sign, covered in artistic prints, labeled "Graphic Tees". Kuro blinked and walked over, ignoring the people passing him by.

The display was a simple series of shelves, each with a picture by it to show what the print on the shirt was. Kuro blinked in interest at the black shirts. Now black he could wear. He grabbed a shirt off a shelf and inspected it. The material was thin and smooth, exactly what Kuro liked, and the color was a jet black. He inspected the print in the front. It appeared to be a bunch of…were those dogs? The animals were black and white and were around a brown and green table under a yellow light. In their paws, if that was what they were, were playing cards. Kuro's face twitched into a smile. Okay, so the print was slightly cheesy, but the shirt was nice.

He slowly walked back to Jenny and handed her the shirt. She looked at him after inspecting the shirt. "You want this?"

"Yeah," Kuro nodded.

Jenny felt the material between her fingers. "The material is awfully sheer," she said critically. She thought for a moment, before smiling. "I have an idea. You go get some more shirts and I'll be right back."

In a few minutes, Kuro found himself in the dressing room, actually admiring his appearance. He had his black shirt with the dogs playing cards on, but underneath was a long sleeved black shirt with dark grey trim. It was Jenny's way of his still looking good, but with added warmth. He also wore a pair of dark "jeans" and a pair of black "skate shoes". He had even added a thick silver chain for a belt and a few more dangled from the first, jingling in a merry sort of way when he moved. A long silver chain hung around his neck, and he sported a thick silvery ring on his right middle finger.

Kuro smiled at himself. He actually looked…surprisingly good. It was a surprise, seeing as he thought he would never get out of the bright cheery fabrics that Pit so loved. But in this, he felt his normal self again. He felt comfortable.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Shoner."<p>

Pit snapped to attention, his pencil slipping from the doodle he had been sub-consciously drawing during his daydreams. A long pencil mark slashed across the graphite drawing of a single feather, which bordered his work.

Mr. Laurel looked down with cold, dark eyes to Pit, who stared back with a rather startled expression on his face. Mr. Laurel slid the paper into his hand, frowning at the drawing in the corner.

"You know the rules, Pit. No drawing in class."

"I already translated the whole thing," Pit said, not looking at his teacher as he already had started on a new doodle on a fresh sheet of paper, his head leaning on his upright arm.

Mr. Laurel flipped the page so the words faced Pit. "Translate."

"'The unexamined life is not worth living—Socrates, Plato's Apology'," Pit said, still not looking up.

Mr. Laurel, startled, looked back at the page, his frown deepening as he realized Pit was correct. He gazed around the room. "And may I ask why you are over here doodling when Ms. Dufrene is in her seat, struggling with her own words?"

Pit frowned. "We're…not really talking to each other right now."

Mr. Laurel's eyes narrowed. "Ah, a personal matter?"

Pit nodded.

"I don't believe in personal matters and school work mixing."

Pit looked up in surprise.

Mr. Laurel's eyes were hard. "Seeing as you and Ms. Dufrene are partners, then I believe you two are obligated to work together, despite any arguments or misunderstandings between you. You will work with her." Then he turned away, making it obvious that the conversation was over.

Pit gave a rather exasperated sigh as he gathered his books and moved to the long table Kaitlyn was working at. He slid up a chair across from her and set down his books with a huff. He gently ruffled his hair as Kaitlyn glanced up and gave him a look. It was strange, actually. Pit had been expecting an icy, shooting look, but this one was more of a blank one, as though Kaitlyn could not understand why Pit was over there in the first place.

Pit raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I didn't ask to be here."

Kaitlyn blinked and went back to her work. A few tense moments later, she spoke. "All I want out of people is the truth." Then she went back to her work.

Pit felt the hair on his neck bristle. "You think I wasn't telling the truth? Is that it?"

Kaitlyn sighed and closed her book, apparently deciding she wasn't going to get anything else done. Her eyes started to glisten with the coming storm of anger. "You never told me anything about who you were, and you just expected me to like you, to even go out with you, without knowing the truth."

"Well you never asked me!" Pit sputtered.

Kaitlyn's eyes flashed. "I'm pretty dang sure you're not from Massachusetts, Pit Shoner. Or is that even your last name? Do you even have a last name?"

Pit groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, so that might have been a slightly lie."

Kaitlyn blinked. "I don't like liars."

Pit sighed. Her tone was basically enough for his heart to sink deep within his chest. He had really screwed up this time. But the thing was he had never even once contemplated the idea of showing Mark and Kaitlyn his wings. So in reality, he was even more of a liar than Kaitlyn thought. He had lied from the very beginning to everyone but Jenny, Ryan, and partially Mr. Laurel. Everyone thought he was a kid from Massachusetts who had moved to Chicago and was living with a foster family. But now the secret was out. Kaitlyn knew now that everything he had said, every story he had told, was a complete and utter lie. He had made up everything about his life when people had asked. And now he was going to pay for it.

Pit finally shook his head, his lips pinched together. He stood and gathered his books. Kaitlyn looked up. If she was surprised, she didn't show it.

"I'm sorry," Pit finally sighed, "I wish I could explain, but it probably wouldn't help now. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about everything before, even though I was trying to keep it a secret until…I don't know when. I'm sorry that you had to find out the way that you did. And I'm sorry it ruined our friendship. I won't bother you anymore." And with that, he turned around and left the table. He walked straight for his desk and sat down, pulling out another sheet of paper and returning to his previous position.

Pit felt ready to snap. If Mr. Laurel came over and told Pit to work with Kaitlyn again, Pit wasn't sure what he'd do. He would probably be in trouble afterwards though.

He was totally paying for his actions now. And the more Pit was left to his own thoughts, the more he regretted.

**So there you go! I really wanted this chapter to show the similarities and differences between Pit and Kuro, such as how they're both curious in exactly the same things when they first look around Jenny's house, but that Kuro likes different foods and colors than Pit. They are both quite alike, but also very different, and that's what I love about them! **

**The next chapter will (hopefully!) be coming soon. As soon as my sister finished reading this chapter, she handed me the laptop and said, "Write more." She really liked this (I hope you did too!). So as always, read, review, and tell me what you think! I'm always looking for ideas, even if I don't use them in this story. So...I'm closing in on the last few chapters. I might have four more if I'm feeling detailed, but you never know! I might have more! Anyhow, thanks for everything (as always!). **

**~pixeljam**


	17. The Angst of High School Romance

**Hello again! I'm sorry it took me longer than usual to finish this chapter, but school just started for me and I've been busy, so expect updates to take more like two weeks instead of one. **

**Wow, this story is coming to an end...that's really sad! (*sniff*). I love this story! I can't believe I even got this far! But you guys made it possible! Thanks to you, I now have over 16,000 hits! You guys make me proud!**

**AngelAnimexinf: Thanks for your review! And thanks for the cookie and sparkly puppy! (Question, what color does the puppy sparkle? Is it purple? I like purple!)**

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**G.M: Your review is most welcome! Thanks so much and the constructive criticism is wonderful! Hopefully this chapter will get Kuro back into the groove for you. Thanks so much for the long review!**

**Dying Heart Alchemist: Thanks for the review and your kind words! Here's the chapter you wanted, and next one is an answer to your question as well.**

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**And hey, if I didn't mention you here, don't think that means I don't recognize that your reviewed, I'm just a little crunched for time at the moment. Thank you all for your reviews and thanks for reading my story!**

**Oh, and one last one, DRAGONGUY54321! YOU ARE AMAZING! BEST...BETA...EVER!**

* * *

><p>"Hey, Pit!" Jenny asked cheerfully as Pit walked slowly into the house, "How was your day?"<p>

Pit didn't answer. He slid his heavy backpack to the ground, his shoulders slumped and his head low. He gave a heaving sigh as he walked into the living room, sitting on one of the arm chairs and sinking into it glumly.

Jenny poked her head out from the kitchen, blinking in surprise. "Pit? Are you alright?"

Pit crossed his arms over his chest, curling deeper into the chair.

Jenny pulled the dishrag off of her shoulder and wiped her hands dry with it, leaving the dishes that she had just been attending to. She walked over to Pit after setting the dishrag down, and came up behind the chair, resting her hands on Pit's shoulders. "Hey, what's up? Bad day at school?"

Pit gave a slow sigh. "Yeah…Kaitlyn isn't really talking to me."

Jenny felt her lips nearly turn up into a smile. Oh, the Dramas of High School! She could hardly joke though. She knew that Pit was a sensitive angel, and losing a close friend was going to be hard. And anyhow, this was scarcely a normal break-up. Pit and Kaitlyn would have probably been fine if it hadn't been for the Shadow Angel attack.

Jenny gave a long sigh. "I'm sorry, Pit. I know this is hard on you."

Pit gave a slow nod.

"What's your problem?"

Pit and Jenny both turned their heads as Kuro walked through the sliding glass door into the living room, shutting the door behind him with one hand because he held his silver bow with the other.

"Where have you been?" Pit questioned.

"Training," Kuro said, motioning to the backyard, "you should be too. The full moon's coming up soon."

Pit cocked his head. "The full moon?" he looked up at Jenny. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Jenny pursed her lips tightly. "Pit…Kuro and I have been talking…and we decided that the best time for you two to leave would be on the night of the full moon."

"Why?"

"Well," Jenny said slowly, "Palutena is the Goddess of Light, and Kuro said that Medusa was the most powerful at the _new_ moon. So it only makes sense that you should attack on the opposite night. Also, the moonlight will make vision in the battle better."

Pit nodded slowly. "But…when is it?"

Jenny swallowed, forcing her voice to be firm. "In two nights. So the day after tomorrow."

Pit blinked in surprise, his eyes widening. "That soon?! But…then I only have so much time with you! And what about Kaitlyn…?"

Kuro gave an exasperated sigh as he walked over in front of Pit and Jenny. "Will you quit worrying about Kaitlyn already? She's not important."

Pit's eyes flashed. "Yes she is!"

Kuro snarled. "The full moon is in two days and you're here depressed over a lost girlfriend?! MAN UP!"

Pit blinked, his eyes slightly confused. "What?"

"We have bigger things to worry about than your personal relationships. Palutena will DIE if we don't win the battle, which you obviously are not prepared for!"

Pit stood angrily. Jenny released the chair and took a step back. It was as though the two angels were ticking time bombs. Jenny just wasn't sure which one would blow up first.

"I _am_ prepared!"

"No you're not!" Kuro spat, "You're a sappy, lovesick _boy_! You're about as ready for a fight as a turtledove in Spring. Being here on Earth has made you soft!"

"But I've been training!" Pit snapped, "I trained in California!"

Kuro's harsh expression softened slightly as a look of confusion overcame his face. "Wait, Cali—?" He sighed. "I'm not even going to ask. If you think you're ready, then fight me, because I know I am."

"Oh yeah?" Pit crossed his arms, "And what makes you so sure?"

"Because I'm not sitting around and sobbing my heart out over a little blonde female!"

The air cackled with electricity as red and blue met with a glare. Jenny watched by, not intervening. After living with Ryan for nearly eighteen years, she had learned that sometimes guys just needed to blow off some steam, and that usually never happened without a few insults and shouted words.

"Fine!" Pit finally snapped, "Meet me in the backyard in five minutes." He stomped from the living room, shoulders hunched and eyes aflame, and clomped into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

Jenny blinked. "That was harsh of you, Kuro. He's really upset."

Kuro slid his bow over his shoulder, taking a deep, soothing breath. "He totally deserved it, though."

Jenny slowly walked over to Kuro, standing next to him. Her eyes bored into the door of Pit's room. "Why did you want him so riled up?"

"He needs to get his mind off that girl," Kuro said simply, his eyes once again dark and calm, "If he doesn't get over it, he'll never be able to fight well."

Jenny gazed down at the angel. "It's happened to you…hasn't it."

Kuro's eyes did not meet Jenny's, nor did he speak. But Jenny saw his gaze darken. His eyes grew narrowed and his fingers which gripped his now crossed arms grew white with strain.

"Yeah," he said slowly, "…something like that."

Jenny blinked, but wisely did not pursue the subject. Instead, her gaze rested back on the door. "How did you manage to make him so angry?"

Kuro gave the woman a small, rather dark smile as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's just say that I have a natural talent for ticking people off."

* * *

><p>"You're going to pay for that," Pit snarled as he readied his blades.<p>

Kuro snorted. "We'll see about that," he said smugly, flicking his wrists so his blades span in circles. Kuro gave a half-smile to himself as he watched Pit's snarl grow all the deeper. Oh, he was getting good at this!

Kuro gazed up at the house, his eyes falling on a curtain which moved ever so slightly. Kuro knew Jenny stood there, watching the two angels carefully. She had refused to watch the battle outside with the two, but Kuro knew she was keeping close surveillance from the house anyhow.

Pit had changed into one of his white t-shirts and a pair of athletic shorts, his feet bare of shoes. Kuro stuck with his thin black t-shirt, patterned with white skulls, but had taken off his long sleeved black shirt. He also exchanged his dark jeans with a pair of black shorts. He also went barefooted.

The two began to step around one another carefully, as though lions preparing for a battle over a piece of territory. Their eyes stayed firmly on one another's, barely blinking. Pit held his blades high, preparing to strike at a moment's notice. Kuro's hung slightly more loosely at his sides. He wanted Pit to feel prepared enough and definitely provoked enough to fight him.

Pit was worried too much about school and his girlfriend for Kuro's liking. From his experience, Kuro knew that if Pit was too distracted and not 100% in the game when the battle began, then the Skyworld would permanently fall to Medusa. And Kuro was willing to do anything to prevent that, even if it meant provoking Pit into a fight.

Pit gave a scream and threw himself at Kuro, blades glinting as they shot through the air. Kuro swiftly deflected the two blades, not moving any part of his body but his arms. He blinked calmly at Pit's wild face, giving a half smile. "Really, Pit, I expected better of you."

Pit cried out as he whipped the blades away and attacked again. Kuro swirled around in a circle, easily avoiding the rash attempt at a hit. Kuro blinked coldly at Pit, who had tripped to the ground when Kuro had moved away. Honestly, Kuro thought Pit was a better fighter. But his thoughts were clouded. If this battle were going to get anywhere, then Kuro would have to do something about Pit's distractions.

"Your anger has no directional value," Kuro said quietly, "if you're going to defeat me, then direct your emotions. The trees and leaves are not your enemies. At the moment, I am."

Pit dragged himself off the ground, his body pouring in sweat even if he had barely exerted himself at all. His eyes blazed with anger.

Kuro have a small smile. "Exactly. Focus your energy on me, my movements, and how you know me. You have to know my every move. So, what will you do if I do this?"

Kuro shot at Pit, his blades high. Pit barely had time to react before Kuro bombarded him with quick slashing and stabbing of his blades. Pit could only defend himself as Kuro's blades whipped back and forth. Kuro slid one of his blades through the weak defense and slid the thin silver against Pit's smooth skin, blood pouring from the new cut. Pit cried out and swung wildly.

Kuro leaped back and lowered his blades. "First blood to me, Pit-stain."

Pit snarled, his lips curled back as a feral dog over a piece of prey would. He held his blades high, preparing for another attack.

But Kuro was faster. He gave a shrieking war cry and flew at Pit, his blades whirling in flaming circles. Gold and silver met in the screech of metal on metal. The four blades sliced through the chilly air as the battle proceeded. But Pit's movements were wild, with no strategy, which led to him mostly being on the defensive. Kuro, on the other hand, moved with a smooth sleekness with an air of ease. He was fluid where Pit was choppy and sleek where Pit was wild.

Kuro slammed his blades into Pit's, hard. Pit flew back from the sudden, extreme force, his golden blades flying from his hands to the grass below, landing flat on his back. But before he could blink, Kuro had already placed a foot on his chest, pressing down hard. Pit gasped for breath, his lungs squashed.

Kuro's face was for once not filled with glee over his win, nor angry, but simply calm. His dark eyes gleamed in the afternoon sunlight, the golden laurel tangled in his hair brilliantly shining. He looked down at Pit, holding his blades low.

"I win," he said simply, "and we have a lot of work to do."

Pit snarled and twisted sharply. "Let me go!"

Kuro pushed all the harder. "Honestly, Pit, I haven't seen you this worked up since I nearly killed Palutena. Except now," his eyes narrowed, "you'll be the one to finish the job."

Pit stopped struggling, his eyes widening. His voice was quiet, almost shocked. "Wait…what?"

Kuro leaned over closer to Pit. "If we don't win this war, not only will you be dead, but Palutena too. And me. And Nighthawk. And Kestrel. And any other angel that refuses to follow Medusa. And do you think it'll stop there?" His eyes darkened, "Oh no, Medusa has much bigger plans. No, she doesn't just plan to take over the Skyworld. No, she's going for total domination. She plans to take over the Earth."

Pit's breath caught in his throat. "…what…?"

Kuro motioned around. "Yeah, Jenny? That kid Mark you keep talking about? Kaitlyn? Yeah, they'll all be dead too. You don't get it Pit. This is bigger than just about anything you've ever faced. You'll have packs of Monsters and Shadow Angels coming after you as soon as you reach the Skyworld, and then, if you get past them, you'll have to face Medusa. And if you fight up there like you did today, then everyone's doomed. And it will all be your fault!"

"NO!" Pit screamed. He grabbed Kuro's foot and twisted it sharply, throwing Kuro off of his chest. Kuro flew backwards in surprise, his blades torn from his hands. Kuro slammed into the ground, and before he could move, Pit was on him. The white angel's eyes blazed in anger as he grabbed Kuro from the ground and twisted the dark angel around himself, tossing him in another direction. Kuro flipped to his feet, his side aching from the rough treatment, but he held up his hands in defense as he awaited Pit's attack.

The two grabbed one another's wrists and grappled with one another, eyes meeting and teeth bared at the standstill. But after a few seconds of straining for the chance to overpower, Kuro slowly felt Pit's position begin to give slightly. Kuro smiled to himself. He had always had the edge of strength over Pit, and now was no exception.

Suddenly Pit's hand twisted over Kuro's wrists, his position switching. He dug his fingers deep into Kuro's wrists, in between the thin bones just below the hands. Kuro winced as Pit's hard fingers hit the sensitive point. Slowly, against his own will, his fingers began to loosen on Pit's wrists, his hands not able to take such conditions. Pit quickly whipped his hands away from the loosened fingers and threw himself on Kuro.

Kuro's head slammed into the ground hard, and Pit smashed his hand into Kuro's chest. Kuro gave a loud huff as the air left his lungs. Kuro gasped for breath, his limbs refusing to work properly. So as soon as he could correctly move again, Pit was already over him, a thin, golden blade in hand, the point directly above Kuro's neck.

Kuro gave a small smile, inspecting Pit's bared teeth and fierce eyes. "Now _that_ is fighting."

The blazing flames in Pit's eyes slowly died down and he slowly lowered the blade. He slid to a standing position, watching as Kuro took a deep breath and heaved himself to his feet.

Pit's chest heaved for breath as his eyes blinked with confusion. He gazed at Kuro with those large, blue eyes, the ones that Kuro had grown used to seeing. They were a beautiful blue, the color of the sky. They were filled with opportunity and hope and such a deep caring love for life.

"Why, Kuro?" Pit said between gasps, "Why is it all on me? I can't do it! I'm not powerful or important or anything. Even when I couldn't fly you were all still counting on me!"

Kuro shrugged. "You ended up beating me. You have what a lot of angels have, Pit, but you have more of it."

"Of what?"

"Oh, I don't know…potential? Determination? The uncanny ability to annoy me to heck?"

Pit gave a half smile, his face already starting to loosen up to its old innocence. "Well, you're not exactly easy to get along with either, Pitoo."

"Pit-stain."

"Ptooey."

"Faker."

Pit's mouth broke into a wide smile, his face suddenly lit, and a loud laugh busting from his chest. It heartened Kuro to see the old Pit back, after his serious angst session. But of course, he wasn't going to tell Pit that.

"You are annoyingly happy, did you know that?"

Pit gave a grin so wide, Kuro was surprised Pit's face didn't explode. "Yeah, I've heard that a lot from the other gods."

Kuro turned his head as the glass door slid open and Jenny's head poked out. "You boys finished?"

Pit waved giving the woman a big thumbs up. "Yup!"

Jenny gave a weary smile. "Well, I guess that means you're probably hungry."

* * *

><p>"Remind me again why I'm coming with you?" Kuro muttered, his shoulders slumped and head down as he followed Pit to the large building.<p>

"Easy!" Pit said with a large grin, "We have to convince everyone that I'm moving away, and I need you for proof."

"Oh, joy."

"Yup!" Pit smiled, apparently missing the sarcasm that had been slathered deeply on the words, "Welcome to high school!"

Kuro blinked up at the large, cinderblock building. His gaze wavered to the huge buildings around him. "What's so high about it? Those buildings are larger."

"I think it's an expression."

Kuro sighed and blew a piece of hair from his face. "Is everything?"

The two walked up the staircase to the large doors of the building. Pit leapt in, light and easy about the situation. Kuro followed more slowly, his wary gaze flitting from place to place.

An explosion of color slammed into Kuro's view. He stared in amazement at the swarms of people, moving around in packs in a way that reminded Kuro of bees in a patch of clover. They rushed around, buzzing the news of the night before, hitting into one another when their gazes did not warn them soon enough of the other incoming people. Kuro instinctively drew to the shadows of the walls, the bright lights installed in the ceiling allowing for many of them. Kuro wasn't exactly the most social angel in the Skyworld. In fact, he preferred to stay away from anyone else when given the opportunity.

Pit turned back, his eyes meeting Kuro's. He motioned to his friend. "Come on, Kuro. We've got to get to my locker before the first bell rings."

_Locker? First bell?_ What the heck was the guy talking about? Kuro shrugged apathetically and slid out from his position of defense and slowly started to make his way through the crowds of teenagers, heading in the direction Pit was.

Kuro was slammed around by so many people, it was obnoxious. Even though many of the perpetrators were much taller and larger than Kuro, the dark angel was sure if he had the chance, he could take any of them down, wings not included. But Kuro merely curled his hands into fists, fighting down the urge to punch everyone on sight. Somehow Kuro thought that Pit wouldn't be too happy.

"Hey, new kid!"

Kuro snapped his head around, annoyance building in his chest. To his side, a group of girls stood, a tall brunette, obviously the leader, staring deeply into his eyes. Kuro's eyes wavered over her figure. She was tall, and extremely curvy. She wore shorts that were extremely short, and a tank top that revealed much too much on both the top and bottom. It made Kuro's lips curl back in a snarl in disgust. This girl obviously had no respect for herself.

The girl drew closer to Kuro, so close that Kuro could smell not only the rose-scented shampoo in her hair, but also the rather distinct scent of smoke, causing Kuro to nearly gag. Kuro forced himself to look the girl straight in the eye, and not downward, for she was in such a close proximity to him and her chest so near to his that he knew his cheeks would flare with color from what he would see if his gaze fell below her neck.

"Are you speaking to me?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

The girl's lips played in a smile as she drew even nearer. Kuro probably could have counted the freckles on her cheeks, she was so close to him. "Who else would I be talking to?" She batted her eyelashes.

Kuro rolled his eyes and turned around. "That was what I was afraid of."

"Hey!" The girl grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around. "No guy turns their back on me."

"Oh really?" Kuro said with a snide snarl, "Well then let me be the first." He was about to turn around again when a loud voice exclaimed over the crowds of people, "Kelsey!"

Pit stormed to the brunette and to Kuro's side, resting a hand on Kuro's shoulder. His eyes flashed angrily. "Get your hands off my cousin!"

Kelsey's eyes narrowed, but she drew back ever so slightly. Her face twisted into a sassy smile, her lips full and pursed. "Why, Pit, you never told me you had any good looking relatives."

Pit's own smile was strained. "If I told you about him, I would never hear the end of it." He pressed Kuro's shoulder, twirling him away from the teenager, "Come on, Kuro. We've got class."

Kuro gave Pit a look that framed all curiosity and exasperation combined. "_Cousin?_" He mouthed to Pit, eyes nearly rolling

Pit gave a half smile and stuck the tip of his tongue from between his lips.

"I'll be seeing you, Kuro!" Kelsey gave one last wave, her expression much too disturbing for Kuro to reply in any way.

Pit gave an exasperated snort as the two left the teenage girls behind. "That Kelsey, she always needs to have the last word."

Kuro blinked in annoyance. "That girl's a creep. How do you deal with that freak?" he motioned around himself, "or any of the other ones in this place?"

Pit gave a half smile. "A lot of telling people to lay off and not listening to their reasons for stalking you. See, Kelsey and some the other ones like her, are kind of people who are desperate for attention, and in Kelsey's case, especially from guys." He bushed a hand through his hair, "Thank goodness she's only in my first period English class and nothing more. But you'd still better watch out for her in the hallways. I have a feeling she won't let you get away that easily."

Kuro let out a sigh. "Oh, what fun."

**Ah, Kuro...we understand, we truly do. Oh the trails of High School!**

**Well, more school soon to come! My next chapter will hopefully be written within the next two weeks if my homework load isn't too bad. So, in the mean time, tell me what you thought of this, and tell me what you think will happen next! (my friend firstoffive has been trying to guess for about a month now and, sorry dude, I will not tell!). But yeah, I want to see what your impression is of the story and what you think is going to happen. I'm curious! **

**But anyhow, thanks so much! You don't know how much it means to me that my first ever story is doing so well! My story is currently at the top of the Kid Icarus subcategory for reviews, favorites, and followers. You guys make me want to scream to the world in joy, and hug all of you. If I ever meet any of you off the internet, face to face, you will all receive a huge hug from me in thanks, and I'll probably shake your hands too...and maybe even send you a card! You guys ROCK!**

**~pixeljam**


	18. She Walks in Beauty

**Wow, this chapter is longer than any other chapter I've written! It took me quite a while, but after about three false starts, I finally did it! WAHOO! I'm so glad I finished this! So, okay, here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! On my computer, my story is officially over the 100 pages mark (YES!), and this is currently the longest story I have ever written. So, thank you all for reading and reviewing and keeping me on my toes with ideas and suggestions. You all made the current 17,000 hits possible, as well as the over 200 reviews. You guys are amazing! So thank you! Hope you enjoy!**

**dahr: Hey, I'd love to talk more with you! If you get a fanfiction account, it would probably be easier, and we could talk more easily, but if you have some way of getting me your email, I would be obliged to talk to you! Thanks so much for your review! Hmmm...if my story was a food...? I really have no idea? Maybe a peach, fuzzy on the outside, but juicy and sweet on the inside!**

**AngelAnimexinf: Wow...I hope you're not injuring yourself while waiting for a chapter! That would make me feel very guilty! So, here's a chapter to help you in your withdrawl! I hope it keeps you sane for a bit longer!**

**Alondra: Thanks so much for your reviews! They make me laugh and think a lot! Please continue, you're helping me out a lot!**

**HamazingTheGreat: Thank you so much for your kind review! I really enjoyed it! Thank you so much!**

**xxIAmTheSkyxx: Hey, we haven't talked in a while, but thanks so much for your review! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it so much!**

**Rangerapprentice: Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you enjoyed the fight between Kuro and Pit! It took me a while to write!**

**maniax300: Ha! I didn't even think about Shadow and Sonic when I wrote this! But it makes total sense! Thanks for the laugh!**

**Box of Tomato Fairy: By the way, in case I never mentioned this before, I love your name! Thanks for your review! I will definitely take that cyber hug! **

**Ecological: Thank you for your review! Good luck on your own story as well, Eco! I look forwards to the rest of it!**

**CJP298: Hey, thanks for the review! We'll see about adding Viridi (I'm still really not sure about her...) but, hey anything's possible! **

**BlueSeven123: Thanks so much for your review and your PMs! It's been a lot of fun talking to you! **

**And, as always, tanks so much to Dragonguy54321, my freakishly amazing Beta Reader! You are the best, and you are amazing! I'm going to be really sad when this story ends. You are FANTASTIC!**

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><p>"Hey Pit!"<p>

Kuro whipped his head around, immediately pinpointing his senses on a single person that pushed through the crowds of bustling teenagers to reach Pit. The boy was of medium height, with fluffy dark hair that spilled out from underneath a purple and black hat. His shirt was wrinkled, pants creased, and blue shoes spattered with brown mud. Kuro raised an eyebrow at the messy boy. And this was…?

"Hey, Mark!" Pit waved to the teenager, who rushed up and pulled the angel into a quick hug.

Kuro quickly did a scan of the hallway around him, diverting his attention from the boy to the other people around him. It seemed that with every directional change, his eyes met with another pair, and the annoying thing was they always seemed to belong to a female. And when a girl noticed he was looking back at them, they flushed deep red and turned away. Kuro flicked his head disdainfully, pinching his lips together in distaste. Unfortunately, that also managed to cause his hair to swish around in a way that made even _more_ females turn in his direction. Kuro nearly groaned.

"I'm glad to hear Jenny's better," Kuro heard Mark say as he joined back into the conversation, "you know, seeing as we didn't have to pick you up this morning."

"Yeah," Pit said with a smile, "Thanks for doing that for me!"

"No sweat," Mark waved the thanks away. He directed his attention to Kuro, his green eyes meeting Kuro's red. "So, Pit," he said to the angel, "you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Pit smiled. "Mark, this is my cousin, Kuro. Kuro, my friend, Mark."

Mark held out a hand, smiling his wide grin. "Nice to meet you, Kuro!"

Kuro took the hand and shook it once, his eyes barely blinking. "Pleasure."

Mark raised an eyebrow, looking both Pit and Kuro up and down. "Wow. For cousins, you two look insanely alike."

"Yeah," Kuro muttered, "we get that a lot."

"So, Pit," Mark asked the angel, "We still on to see The Dark Knight Rises tomorrow? I know we didn't plan it out fully, but we can walk down to the theater after school, and after the movie head to my house to work on homework."

Kuro flashed Pit a warning look.

Pit winced. "Actually," he said slowly, "Mark…I'm not going to be here tomorrow."

Mark shrugged. "Alright, how about next week? We're off on Friday for teacher-work days."

Pit shook his head sadly. "I'm not coming back."

Mark's sparking, playful eyes blinked, confusion covering the bright lights that reflected on the shining pupils. "Not coming back where?"

Pit sighed, shaking his head. "Mark, I'm moving. Jenny found my distant family in Ohio. Kuro came here to bring m to my new home. This is my last day at school."

Kuro nearly raised an eyebrow. _Ohio? What the crap is Ohio?_

"Oh, really?" Mark's eyes grew sad, his figure slumping. "Dang, man, I'm sad to hear that. I mean, I'm glad you found your family, but, heck, I'm gonna miss you."

Pit gave a half-hearted smile. Kuro watched in interest. He had never really appreciated it before, but Pit was quite the play actor. "I'm gonna miss you too, Mark."

Mark returned the smile. He shook himself slightly, as though ridding his body of something on him. "Well," he said with a half cheery voice, as though he were forcing the happiness, "We've still got one day left, so we might as well make the most of it."

Pit smiled. "Yeah! Let's enjoy ourselves!"

Kuro turned back around in another 360, his eyes widening as he noticed a swarm of females with their eyes planted hungrily on him. Kuro swallowed.

"Hey, Kuro, why do you keep turning around?" Pi's voice was curious.

"Stupid girls," Kuro muttered under his breath. He turned back to Pit and Mark. "Just a bit paranoid of girls staring at me."

Mark snorted. "Ah, so _you're_ the one Kelsey was just gossiping about a few minutes ago. I think just about every double-x chromosome-d being in this hallway has at least heard of you."

"I'm still amazed and how fast word goes around here," Pit said with a sigh as he ruffled his hair. "Too bad for you, Kuro. It must just be your dark demeanor, because no girl did that to me."

"Except Kaitlyn," Mark pointed out quietly.

Kuro whipped his head around to Pit, who looked sadly down at the ground. _Here we go again!_ he thought with a sigh.

Pit finally sighed and gave a shrug. "Yeah…but…Kaitlyn." Pit finally shook his head. "It's over."

Kuro blinked in surprise. Pit had actually shoved the girl from his mind. He was focused. Kuro nearly smiled, impressed.

* * *

><p>Pit handed a note to Ms. Harpline, his eyes meeting her steely gaze. He watched as she, with her sharp, soldier-like movements, slit open the letter with her long fingers and inspected it, her eyes moving across the page as fast as a scanner.<p>

When she finished, she folded the page neatly and held the letter behind her back, figure tall and imposing next to Pit. But Pit stood his straightest, and met her gaze without a waver.

"So," Ms. Harpline said in her sharp, flat tone, "you are leaving our school."

Pit dipped his head. "Yes, ma'am."

Ms. Harpline nodded sharply, "This letter makes everything clear. Congratulations on finding your distant relations, Mr. Shoner."

Pit again dipped his head, this time in thanks and slightly in surprise. He had never heard Ms. Harpline utter anything so…kind. "Thank you, ma'am."

His teacher gave a sharp nod, her thin jaw in a hard line. "I will miss having to learn along side you, Mr. Shoner."

Pit blinked in surprise. "_Learn_, ma'am?"

And, miracle of all miracles, the edges of Ms. Harpline's thin, harsh mouth suddenly twitched into a small smile. "I am your grammar and literature teacher, Mr. Shoner. In this class, you had to write quite a bit. And seeing as you write in a way that is unusual compared to most students, it was necessary for me to learn your language as well so that I could truly understand what you were writing."

"Wait," Pit said, startled, "you mean you learned Ancient Greek?!"

Ms. Harpline gave a slight snort through her large nostrils. "Indeed, I did. A fascinating language, mind you." She suddenly turned to Kuro, who stood behind Pit, and had until that moment been trying to ignore the stares of all the girls seated in the classroom. "You are his cousin?"

Kuro nodded.

Ms. Harpline walked up to him, and held out a hand. Kuro, surprised, took it and shook, blinking in confusion. "You are gaining a hard worker. Treat him well."

Kuro nodded. "I will. Thank you, ma'am," he said, mimicking Pit's honorific for the woman, even though he probably had never used the word 'ma'am' before.

The teacher turned back to Pit, her once almost warm eyes back to being steely. "But today is another day of school. So I will teach you one last time. So to your seats."

"So, you're leaving, eh soldier?" Mr. Goldburg said as he looked up at Pit from the letter he held.

"Sir, yes sir!" Pit said, standing as straight as he possibly could. Kuro watched with interest, standing by. Pit had been handing out each of his letters to each of the teachers as he came to that class. Kuro had simply stood by and inspected each of the teachers' reactions as Pit told them he was leaving. Probably the most dramatic was his music teacher, named, much to Kuro's amusement, Mrs. Angel, who had nearly burst into tears when she found she'd be losing one of her star musicians. Pit told Kuro later on that Mrs. Angel was always dramatic, but Kuro still found it funny.

Kuro gave a quick glance around the room, still avoiding the many glances of females, whom of which he was getting very sick and tired of. But as he looked more closely, he realized there was one girl who wasn't looking at him. Instead, her sharp green eyes gazed at Pit, wide with shock. Kuro suddenly recognized the blond curls and cute clothes. She was Kaitlyn, the gal who had broken up with Pit. He watched as another girl cam up to Kaitlyn, and his intense hearing picked up on their conversation.

_"Hey, Kate, did you hear that Pit's moving to Ohio?"_

_ Kaitlyn's eyes narrowed at her friend. "Ohio? Really?"_

_ "Yeah, his cousin's here to bring him back. See him? He's the super hot—."_

That was when Kuro cut off his hearing. He really did not need to hear the rest of that sentence.

"At ease, soldier," Mr. Goldburg said, his small eyes glancing over Pit with cold attentiveness as Pit allowed himself to relax. "Well, Shoner, it's a shame to lose you. You certainly had a lot of spunk, and you're a hard worker." He glanced at Kuro frowning. "You, cousin, move your butt over here!"

Kuro was slightly taken aback by the man's sudden command, and Kuro would have liked nothing better then to refuse, and cross his arms with a hard rejection of taking orders. But he assumed that that probably would not help Pit, so he bit his tongue, much to his pride's distaste, and walked over.

"What's your name, soldier?"

Kuro held back a snarl. "Kuro."

Mr. Goldburg stood taller, which Kuro found rather amusing because it really did no help to the man in the height department. "Can you wrestle, Kuro?"

Kuro blinked. "Uhhh, yeah?"

"Good. NOW ALL YOU PORPOISE-FACED BABY DOLLS GET INTO LINE!"

The group of kids shot into a perfect line, backs straight and eyes forward. Kuro merely stood by, not exactly sure what to make of the man's screams.

The teacher walked up and down the line, inspecting the teenagers with his shrewd gaze. "Today, you will all be partnered up in a wrestling match. As usual, winner moves on to the next round. Last man standing picks next month's unit. But, to keep this safe, we will have a girl's final, and a guy's final. No injuries, or you will have after school clean up for a month, understood? Now, you pick your partner. Guy with guy, girl with girl."

The teenagers immediately spread out around the room to the mats that had been neatly placed on the large gym's floor. Kuro gave a huff and stood by a mat, crossing his arms and looking as bored as possible. The sooner this was over, the sooner the school day would be over, and the sooner Kuro could finish his preparations for tomorrow.

"So you're the one my girlfriend's been talking about!"

Kuro slowly gazed at the large teen across from him. The guy had to be at least six and a half feet tall, which managed to dwarf Kuro by a long shot. The teen was also extremely broad shouldered, which made him look all the larger. Small, shrewd eyes inspected Kuro up and down, his crew cut making him look like a taller, meaner version of Mr. Goldburg. He was dressed in a pair of ratted out jeans, and a tight tank-top. Kuro nearly snorted and rolled his eyes. Oh, so tough!

Kuro felt his snappy temper rise in his chest. Hey, he couldn't really provoke a fight now, because he was already going to be in one. He might as well have fun.

Kuro now _wanted_ the attention of the girls in the building. Now, it was all about jealousy. This was going to be too easy!

Kuro drew a hand up to his head, brushing his fingers through his hair and flicking it ever so slightly so it looked windswept and tousled. He could feel the gaze of all the girls in Pit's class on him, and he now enjoyed every moment of it. He gave the guy a slightly sassy smile. "Well, at least she has good taste. In me, I mean."

The teenage guy snarled. "Yeah, well you can keep your hands off of her, punk!"

Kuro smiled. "Is her name Kelsey, by any happened chance?"

The guy looked slightly startled. "Wait…"

"How do I know her? Oh, easy, she asked me out." He gave a sly grin, forcing himself not to laugh out loud. "And I accepted." Kuro was having way too much fun this! The idea of him accepting Kelsey as a date was laughable, and yet this guy totally believed him!

"Kelsey's mine!" the guy snarled.

"Tell that to her," Kuro nearly yawned, glee filling his mind as the guy growled.

The guy stepped onto the mat, slipping his huge shoes off. "Never mind, you little freak. I'll pulverize you first, then she'll want nothing to do with you!"

Kuro copied the teen. "You do that. Though I think I'm going to want your name before we start and I become hard of hearing."

"They call me The Crusher."

Alright, that time Kuro nearly lost it. What kind of a name was that? Mark was fine, Kaitlyn was fine, but…The Crusher? It was enough to make Kuro nearly fall over and gasp for breath between guffaws. But he merely smiled.

"Alright, Crusher—."

"THE Crusher."

Kuro raised his hands. "Fine, fine…_The_ Crusher. Don't get your toga in a knot…"

'The Crusher' raised a thin eyebrow. "My what?"

Kuro half smile. "Oh, nothing." He flipped off his feet, grabbing one of 'The Crusher's' large, beefy arms and using his quick momentum to whip 'The Crusher' around and slam him into the mat.

'The Crusher' spat angrily as he rose to his feet. "You're going to pay for that."

Kuro blinked in innocence. "For what? I'm just beating you, that's all."

'The Crusher' snarled. "I do not lose!"

Kuro rolled his eyes. "Get used to it." He leapt into action once again, his bare feet slapping neatly against the mat as he danced around the huge teen. He had realized the weakness as soon as he saw the teen's broad shoulders and slow, plodding movements. Broad shoulders alone would have been not much of a problem, but with the slow speed, the teen had one huge weakness. And that, was blind spots.

'The Crusher' span around as soon as Kuro was behind him, but Kuro was much too fast. He was already on the other side of the teen, keeping in his large blind spots. Kuro grinned as he flitted around. Oh, this was too easy.

As soon as it was possible, Kuro bent down and grabbed both of 'The Crusher's' legs, and pulled hard. There was another thing about super broad shoulders and being tall that was a problem.

Extremely high balance points.

And another thing: The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

* * *

><p>"That was quite impressive."<p>

Kuro gave a half snort. "It was simple. That guy was easier to beat than Pit, and that's saying something."

Pit looked outraged. "Hey!"

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Do you two fight or something?"

Pit clapped Kuro on the shoulder. "After my California trip, I went to Ohio before I came home to meet up with Kuro's family. We fought in the cornfields."

Kuro blinked. _Ohio…? Cornfields…?_ Kuro rolled his eyes. Okay, now Pit was just being weird, but then again, when was he not?

Mark's eyes widened. "Well, you're pretty good, Kuro. Most people who fight with 'The Crusher' end up with some nasty bruises."

Kuro snorted. "Ridiculous name, if you ask me."

"Oh, that? His real name is Elmer. If you ask me, that's even more ridiculous."

Kuro shrugged. "Whatever. He's not bothering me anymore, and that's final."

Pit smirked. "Yeah, but the girls think you're even hotter now!"

"That I could have lived without," Kuro scowled.

Mark and Kuro laughed as the three walked down the hallway swarmed with people. At the next classroom, Mark left for his own final class of the day, as Kuro and Pit walked inside.

Immediately, Kuro knew something was different about this room. There was an aura, an older, more powerful one than his own, in this room. Kuro felt his hair stand on end as he whipped his head from side to side, sensing for the power source. His focus narrowed as he pinpointed on a location. He stared at the person in front of him. Wait…but that…

"Good afternoon, Mr. Shoner," the man said, coming forwards, "I have heard strange rumors today about your future in this school."

The man was tall, with dark hair and very pale skin. His bight green eyes were dormant, but the way they shone made Kuro sincerely believe that they could storm at any moment.

Pit dipped his head. "Yeah, and I'm sorry to admit that what you have heard is probably true. He held out and envelope of paper, the last one. "This will explain."

The man inspected the envelope before opening it, gazing at the small, written words on the paper. He looked over the page, his eyes focusing on Pit. "So…you're moving to Ohio."

"Yes, sir."

The man nodded sharply. "Very well. I would like to see you at the end of class, Mr. Shoner, so that I may give you a proper farewell. Until then, please head to your seat." His eyes wandered to Kuro. "And you may use the extra desk in the back of the room."

Pit dipped his head and did as he was told, Kuro following close behind. Kuro dipped his head politely to the teacher before doing so.

"Pit, there's something up with that guy," Kuro hissed.

"His name is Mr. Laurel," Pit said back, equally as quietly, "He teaches ancient Greek."

"I don't mean that! I mean he's not human. I can sense his aura. We might have an underworld monster on our hands!"

Pit waved the answer away. "He's not a monster, Kuro."

"Then what is he?"

"And angel."

Kuro nearly stopped dead in his tracks. "He's a what?!" He flushed slightly as just about every head in the classroom turned his way.

Pit sat down. "I'll explain everything later. Just go with the flow."

Kuro rolled his eyes as he sat down at his own desk. "Easy for you to say," he huffed.

"Today," Mr. Laurel said, "I will give you each an independent page that was written especially to suit you and the meaning only you will understand, or at least that is what I am hoping. There will be no trading. If you finish with your assignment, you may help the people around you. Please bring the assignment to me when you're finished."

Slowly, Mr. Laurel began walking around the room and handing each student a piece of paper, which they began to work furiously on. Some were handed extremely short passages, others, like Pit, what looked like a few pages. And finally, he arrived at Kuro's desk.

Kuro looked up sternly at the man in front of him. Kuro didn't trust the teacher, even if he was an angel. Why would an angel stay on earth? Even Pit, who had been here for quite some time, was still working to leave. Angels belonged in the sky, in the air, not grounded.

"I believe these will suffice," Mr. Laurel said as he handed Kuro the last few slips of paper. Kuro frowned as the teacher walked back to his desk and sat down.

Kuro inspected the first slip. Unlike Pit, Kuro had taught himself to read English as well as Ancient Greek. Kuro had decided that a long time ago when he had first found out Pit couldn't read English. Being the annoyed, frustrated being that he was, Kuro immediately decided that he would learn English, even if it was simply to one-up his look-alike. And it had paid off.

The words were in Ancient Greek, which Kuro read through easily. But the message surprised him.

**_She Walks in Beauty_**

**By George Gordon and Lord Byron**

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless chimes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes!

Thus mellow'd to that tender light

Which heavenly to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impair'd the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

Kuro read through the paper over and over again, drinking in the poem's words. Everything about it mimicked the one person he longed to see: Lady Palutena. If the poem had only described the woman's hair as pine, or green instead of raven, Kuro would had believed that the poem had been written specifically for her.

Kuro gazed up at Mr. Laurel, and the man looked back, his calm green eyes focused on Kuro's red. He looked down at the paper, and his lips upturned in a half smile.

Kuro nearly smiled back, but instead turned his attention to translating the words from Greek to English and writing them down on a paper. Then, Kuro flipped to the next page.

**_He Wishes for the Clothes of Heaven_**

**By W.B. Yeats**

Kuro blinked. Another poem?

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.

Kuro sighed over that image. It seemed almost true that he had spread his dreams before Palutena's feet, and she walked on them. And it was also true that he wished he had something to give her in return. But, as the poem said, he had nothing worth her attention. Dang, Mr. Laurel was good at this. He seemed to know exactly what Kuro was thinking.

Kuro sighed again as he scribbled down the translation, and moved on to the next page.

**_Dreams_**

**By Langston Hughes**

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow

Kuro flipped onto the back of the page, hoping for another stanza, but he found nothing. He blinked in surprise. Well, that one was short. But the more he thought about it, another stanza wouldn't make sense anyhow. Dreams were either fulfilled, or died, or left. What disturbed Kuro about the last stanza was the line "For when dreams go". _When_, not _if_. The author basically said that dreams were going to leave at some point. Kuro normally had a rather pessimistic view on life, but the thought of life being a frozen field, and that being inevitable was a little overboard depressing.

Kuro flipped the page over, only to find that _Dreams_ was the last one. There were no more. Kuro quickly translated the last poem and walked up to the front desk, handing the translations to Mr. Laurel.

Mr. Laurel blinked in surprise. "You're quite quick," he said quietly, "did you enjoy the poetry?"

"It was pleasurable," Kuro sniffed, not wanting to sound too complacent.

Mr. Laurel nodded. "May I have the originals back, please?"

Kuro held the papers close to him. "Um…this may be a little much to ask...but may I keep them?"

Mr. Laurel's smile was almost sympathetic. "I had a feeling you would ask. You may have them."

Kuro dipped his head in thanks before turning around and walking back to his seat, feeling oddly satisfied with his new poetry.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry to see you're going, Pit," Mr. Laurel said quietly.<p>

The bell had rung, signaling the end of the day, and Mr. Laurel's classroom was empty of all but three angels.

Pit dipped his head. "Thank you for teaching me, Mr. Laurel. It was very kind of you."

Mr. Laurel gave a half snort. "I didn't have much of a choice now, did I? But yes, it was entertaining."

"So you're the angel that fell from the Skyworld," Kuro said, finally speaking up, "Why did you never return to the Overworld?"

"I have no wings."

Pit felt his blood run cold. "Wait…what?"

Mr. Laurel rubbed his neck, and Pit realized now just how young the man looked, probably in his early thirties. "I'll spare you the gruesome details, Pit. But let's just say that humans will do anything for science."

Pit felt his stomach clench and churn like butter. He felt sick. "I'm sorry. So you won't be returning with us?"

Mr. Laurel shook his head. "No. I wish I could. I miss Angel Land. I miss the Skyworld. And I miss Lady Palutena. But now I have to stay here. Perhaps I'll see Palutena again someday. Will you tell her I'm alive?" he asked Pit with an edge of hopefulness.

Pit gave a wide grin. "Of course!"

Mr. Laurel smiled. "Kuro, you keep a close eye on this angel. He's a wild one."

Kuro rolled his eyes. "Don't I know it!"

"I wish you both luck."

Pit dipped his head. "And you."

Kuro and Pit stepped out of the room, and walked down the now empty hallway. Pit found the silence odd after going through a day of loud noises. But it seemed accepting, as though the silence were their in a sort of dedication. Pit was leaving, and unless something extreme happened, he wasn't coming back.

"Hey, Pit."

Pit turned around to Mark, who raced through the hallway in his dirty shoes towards the angels. His eyes sparkled.

"Hey, I thought I'd missed you!"

Pit shook his head. "Hey, I can't leave without telling my best friend goodbye!"

Pit pulled his friend into a hug. "I'm gonna miss you, bud."

"You too," Mark said sadly, "You're a lot of fun, and you're gonna make some kids in Ohio pretty happy."

"And you were just about the most random person I know," Pit teased, "How am I going to get through my day without you making random comments all the time?"

Mark punched Pit lightly on the shoulder in affection. "I don't know, buddy." He turned to Kuro. "Hey, Kuro, you're getting the best person in the world. Remember that."

Kuro gave a half smile. "I'll try."

Pit blinked at his friend. "Hey, have you seen Kaitlyn? I know we're not on great terms, but I wanted to say bye to her anyways."

Mark shook his head. "She left right after school."

Pit blinked in disappointment. "Well, if you see her tomorrow, tell her that I'm really sorry…for everything."

Mark nodded. "Will do. You have a great time in Ohio."

"And you enjoy school here."

"Ugh, don't remind me!"

The two laughed, though the joy was tinged with both excitement and sorrow for Pit. He was going home! But…he was leaving.

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe you're playing cards," Kuro muttered from his armchair, "we should be training!"<p>

Pit gave a loud, rather obnoxious sigh. "Because," he said with a slight whine, "this is my last night in Chicago and with Jenny. We might as well enjoy ourselves. And besides, it's raining outside."

"Rain is only a distraction," Kuro muttered again.

Pit rolled his eyes. "Whatever. By the way, go fish!"

Jenny smiled and picked up a card. "After this, how about another round of poker?"

"And have you beat me again?" Kuro said in disgust," No way! We could play speed!"

"And have _you_ beat me again?" Jenny said, her tone imitating Pit's perfectly, "No way!"

The two laughed. Kuro grumbled in his corner.

"You'd think that training was more important than some stupid card game."

Jenny gave him a warm smile. "I know what'll cheer you up, Kuro."

Kuro gave her a sly look. "What?"

"Mint tea."

Kuro gave a heaving sigh. "_Fine_! You can play your game, but I want that tea!"

Jenny grinned. "Of course, master Kuro," she said taking a deep bow as she laid down her cards and entered the kitchen. "By the way, Pit?" She asked from there. "Can you grab the watering can and water the fern in the front room? It's looking a little wilted."

Pit laid down his cards. "Sure, Jenny." He stood up, looking around the living room. "Um…where's the watering can?"

"Did you put it back after watering the flowers in the front yard?"

Pit flushed slightly. "Uhhh….no?"

Pit heard Jenny heave a sigh. "So you left it outside in the freezing rain?"

"Ummm…yep."

Jenny's sigh was louder. "Well, you'd better go get it."

Pit saluted, even though he knew Jenny couldn't see him. "Yes, ma'am!" He cried as he marched out the front door and onto the small porch. The chilly air whirled around Pit, soaking into his bare arms. Pit shivered.

The rain was thick, and fell in sheets of silver water. It was as though they covered any light, for the street light a few houses down to the left was barely visible. Pit shivered again, the icy water pelting down on him and already soaking his hair.

Pit sped down the steps, and into the yard, searching desperately for the watering can. The silver metallic object was rather difficult to find due to its color scheme, but Pit eventually found the large, round cylinder.

Pit looked for the light of the house, and hurried to follow it. But before he could make it to the steps, his foot caught, and he went tumbling to the muddy ground. Pit spat out dirt and rain as he stood up, inspecting what he had tripped over. But the light was too bad from where he was from. He drew closer, noticing the large lump and the smaller thinner one next to it.

Pit slowly drew a hand over it. What was it? A pile of soggy leaves?

Pit rolled the log-like object over, and gasped as a flash of lightning lit the yard for a split second.

"Oh my gosh…Kaitlyn!"

**Oooh, I haven't done a good cliffhanger in a while! It feels oddly satisfying! **

**So, tell me what you thought of this, and review please! I love feedback, as long as any criticism is constructive, but if you've been reading this story from the very beginning, you should know that already! So, anyhow, thanks! Also, if you happen to be on my profile, please take my poll, so I have a good idea of what people want to see for my next story. So yeah, tell me what's on your mind! I'm really excited to start writing the next chapter! **

**~pixeljam**


	19. The Rules and Desires of Jenny Shoner

**I want to apologize for how long this took. I feel very badly about this! Please forgive me. (*bows*). I have been EXTREMELY busy with schoolwork (Calculus is MURDER right now!), but I'm actually hoping to write the next three/four chapters in October, finishing it in one month. Why? So I can do NaNoWriMo (basically you have to write an entire story of 50,000 words or more in one month)...that will be painful, but maybe it will help with my procrastination! **

**Okay, so this chapter, just so you know, if very transitional. Very few exciting things happen in it. It it really a connector to the next chapter, which I'm planning on making _very_ interesting. So, prepare for that.**

**Anyhow, I would write personal thank yous to everyone who reviewed, but I'm a little crunched for time, so THANK YOU EVERYONE! (I think that covered just about everyone I needed to thank!) :)**

**Anyways, Thank you though, Dragonguy, for being so patient as you waited for the next chapter and thank you for getting back to me so fast on it! **

**Anyhow, here's the next chapter!**

Jenny rushed into the living room, her eyes immediately taking in the whole story. Pit and Kuro dripped water onto the carpet, both of them soaked to the bone. In their arms, being held in between the two, was Kaitlyn. Her clothes were dripping with rainwater, and her hair doing the same. Her skin was deathly pale, and from what Pit could feel, it was just as cold.

"Pit," Jenny said quickly, "is that who I think it is?"

Pit nodded, gazing down at the beautiful face that just earlier that day he had though he would never see again. Her freckles showed up brilliantly against her white skin, as did her water-darkened hair. Her normally rosy lips were nearly purple, the same with her thin fingertips.

Jenny grabbed the girl in her arms, drawing the wet girl close. She looked at the two teenagers in front of her, green eyes worried. "I'm going to get her cleaned off in my bathroom. You two had better do the same before you catch cold."

Pit nodded and watched as Jenny hurried down the hallway into her room, disappearing as the door slammed shut. He let out a heaving sigh, only then realizing just how cold he was. He shivered, running his hands along his arms, teeth chattering.

"Hey," he said, forcing his teeth to jaw to stay still as he turned to Kuro, "thanks for helping me carry her in here."

Kuro gave Pit a glare. "Whatever. You owe me a new shirt," he said, motioning to his soaked and dirty long-sleeved shirt.

Pit rolled his eyes. He hadn't really expected anything more than that.

Kuro's eyes were grave as he held up the thin object that had been by Kaitlyn's side when Pit had found her. "It's this I'm more worried about."

Pit took the long wooden and metal item from Kuro's thin hands. It was long and sleek, with wood at the base and metal at the middle and tip. Thin and sleek, the object shone in the light with a wicked gleam. "What is it?" Pit asked curiously.

Kuro scowled and snatched the pole-like object back. "For living among humans, you're still sadly incompetent on their methods of killing."

Pit felt the blood leave his cheeks. "Killing? You mean to say…Kaitlyn…?"

Kuro gave Pit a dark look. "She's not dead, idiot! And I highly doubt she killed anyone. Do you know what this is?" he asked, holding the item up.

Pit shook his head.

"It's a rifle," Kuro spat, "A gun. You shoot things with it."

"Like a bow?"

Kuro heaved a loud sigh. "Sure, like a bow, but way more dangerous if you know how to use it right. It spits out metal balls that drive deep into whatever it hits, especially flesh."

Pit was liking the sound of this weapon less and less as Kuro went on explaining. _Metal…drive…flesh…_ "But why would Kaitlyn have one?"

Kuro shrugged. "They can be used for self defense, though those ones are usually smaller, more fitted into your hand."

Pit blinked curiously. "Hey, how do you know so much about them? You never lived with humans."

Kuro gazed with hard eyes at the gun. "You would be surprised with some of the stuff Medusa has down in her caverns." His hard eyes met Pit's. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I call first shower, seeing as you won't."

* * *

><p>Pit sighed as he dried off his hair with one of Jenny's fluffy white towels. Hot showers seemed to make everything feel better.<p>

He walked out into the living room, in a new pair of jeans and a white t-shirt seeing as his old outfit was hanging up in the shower, drip drying. Pit shivered slightly, rubbing his head harder with the towel. The air in the house was still quite cool. But putting on a pair of fuzzy socks also helped keep him warm. He wasn't sure how Kuro did it, sitting in the front room after taking a shower in only a pair of jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt, which showed off his arms, finely muscled from days of training with his knives. But Kuro seemed to be perfectly warm, sitting in the living room and reading a book, his hair ruffled and messy.

Pit sat across from him on the other couch, resting the towel over his shoulders. He would have picked up a book if he could read, but unfortunately, none of Jenny's books, magazine, or written material in general came in Ancient Greek.

"Jenny says she'll be fine."

Pit jerked his head up. Kuro didn't look at him, apparently to into his book to worry about eye contact.

"Really?" Pit nearly leapt from his seat.

Kuro nodded, leisurely turning a page and scanning through it with his red eyes. "Yeah. And she said you were not, under any circumstances, allowed to enter her room."

Pit flushed a deep red, crossing his arms grumpily. "I wasn't going to anyways."

"You keep on telling yourself that."

Pit scowled and flopped onto the couch long-ways, kicking his feet up on the armrest. He gazed up at the ceiling. "Hey, Kuro?"

"Hm?"

"When are we leaving tomorrow?"

"If we can manage it, high noon."

Pit felt his heart drop. He had so little time left, less than twenty-four hours. He was going home, at last! But…Pit gazed around the room of the house he had grown so used to. He was leaving Jenny. He was leaving Chicago. He was leaving what had become his home. He had a home waiting for him, but now he was leaving one behind. It was as though he were getting pushed off of Angel Land all over again. But…it was different. Pit nearly buried his face in his hands. Why was life so dang complicated?!

"I'm really going to miss this place, Kuro."

The dark angel grunted in reply.

Pit's hearing suddenly became sharp as he heard a door down the hallway open and shut. Pit leapt to his feet, heart racing. Jenny slowly walked down the hall, walking into the living room with bright eyes.

Pit bounced over. "She's alright?"

Jenny nodded. "She's asleep right now."

Pit sighed in relief, hand over his heart. "Good! When will she wake up?"

Jenny shrugged. "Not really sure. Maybe sometime tomorrow, but I have no way of really telling."

"If it _is_ tomorrow," Kuro said suddenly, looking up from his book, "and it's past noon, we're not delaying. If she's not awake, too bad."

Pit scowled at Kuro, even though he knew the words spoken by the dark angel were true. There was no time for waiting now, not when they were so close. "Fine, no delays."

Jenny nodded. "If that happens, I'll tell her you already left."

Pit nodded sadly as Jenny left. He knew that there was no way the two angels could wait or delay now, not even for Kaitlyn. The mission was too important.

Pit sighed, now in a bad mood. He tightened his arms around himself, watching the raindrops streak across the many windows of the house. He needed something to warm him up, make him happier.

"Hey, Kuro!"

Kuro grunted in reply.

"Can you read me a story?"

Kuro let his arms drop, the book flipping down and revealing his empty face. "Do I look like a babysitter to you?"

Pit pushed away the feeling of disappointment that crept up on his mind. "No…but I can't read and you're reading a book, because you can! You can just read me what you're reading!"

Kuro looked skeptically down at the book he was reading, eyebrow raised. "You _want_ me to read you Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky?"

Pit blinked at the absurd name of the author, but smiled all the same. "Sure! Fidor Devsky sounds cool!"

Kuro let out a long sigh. "It's Fyodor Dostoyevsky, not…never mind." Suddenly, his annoyed eyes filled with glee, causing Pit to swallow hard in instant worry. That face couldn't be good. "Okay, you asked for it!" Kuro said with delight as he picked his book back up and flipped through the pages until he apparently found what he was looking for.

And he began to read.

_…A bright light suddenly illuminated his room. Nastasia entered with a candle and a plate of soup. Scrutinizing him carefully and seeing he was not asleep, she put the candle on the table and started uncovering what she had brought: bread, salt, a plate, a spoon._

_ "I don't suppose you've eaten since yesterday. You've got such a fever, and yet you go running around town all day long."_

_ "Nastasia…why were they beating the landlady?"_

_ She looked at him intently._

_ "Who was beating her?"_

_ "Just now…half an hour ago, Illia Petrovich, the assistant superintendent, on the stairs…What was he doing beating her like that? And…why did he call?"_

_ Nastasia looked him up and down. She was silent, and she frowned. She stared at him like that for a long time. It gave him an unpleasant feeling, even frightened him._

_ "Nastatia, why don't you say something?" he timidly ventured at last in a weak voice._

_ "It's the blood—." _

"Okay, never mind!" Pit shrieked, slamming his hands over his ears and tightening himself into a ball, slowly feeling the blood return to his face that had been blanched in fear.

Kuro have a sassy, half-smile as he closed the book shut. "Want another bedtime story, Pitty?"

"Why didn't you tell me that book was so freaky?!" Pit snarled.

Kuro gave a huffing laugh. "Oh, you thought _that_ was scary? Well, you should see the part when—."

"Just shut up!"

Kuro smiled and set the book down. "Good. Now go get some sleep."

"Yeah," Pit half moaned to himself, "Like I'm going to get to sleep after _that_."

* * *

><p>Pit gave a loud sigh as he awoke, curling deeper into his thick blankets to battle off the chilling cold of the early morning. His wings wrapped tightly around his body, his feathers curling against his cold arms and flaring ever so gently. Pit gave a loud sigh, and slowly allowed his brain to fall back into peaceful slumber.<p>

"UP, SLACKER!"

Pit let out a whooping scream and leapt from his bed. Every muscle in his body tensed for a sudden attack. His wings flew out to their full extent, every feather flaring in shock. His hair stood on end and his hands automatically rose to a defensive position.

But expecting a full fledged Shadow Angel army to suddenly attack him, Pit was surprised by the lack of fighters. In fact, there was only one. A rather ruffled looking, sweating Kuro with his chest bare and hair mussed. In his hands were his long silver blades, hanging at his sides. But despite his just-got-out-of-bed look, his eyes flared with energy and shot daggers at the startled angel.

"You should have been up hours ago!" Kuro snapped. "Do you know what today is?"

Pit let out a groan, collapsing back onto the bed as a wave of exhaustion slammed into him. He curled back up underneath his blankets, shielding his eyes as Kuro flipped on the bright lights. "Ughhhhhhhh…ten more minutes, Pitoo…"

Pit received around five seconds of peace from his dark counterpart before he was literally flipped out of bed. Pit gave a yelp as he slammed into the cold ground, flipping back to his feet quickly. He gave a half sigh, half snarl as anger flooded his chest. "What the crap, man?!"

Kuro had seemingly taken over Pit's bed as he stood on the ruffled covers, eyes glaring. He loomed over the light angel, his expression dark and jaw hard. He pointed one blade tip in the direction of Pit in a threatening manner. "There is no time for slacking today! Get the idea into your flipping head!" He held up his blades menacingly. "Or am I going to have to make you?"

Pit rubbed his eyes clear of the sleepiness, reaching over to his bedside table and grabbing his golden blades. "Fine, but you asked for it!"

Kuro let out a war cry and leapt off the springy bed, shooting so high that he managed a full flip before landing on the ground and throwing himself at Pit. Pit whipped up his blades in defense and metal screeched upon metal. Kuro moved in a blur, spinning and whirling around with his blades like twin moons in front of him. Pit moved equally quickly, twisting in snake-like patterns to avoid the steel.

Pit backed out of his room, the battle paused for a split second while the two went through the thin doorway. But as soon as they passed the small wooden passageway, Kuro took to the air, snarling menacingly as he dive-bombed the angel on he ground. Pit whipped to the side, flipping out his own wings and flying to the high ceiling, where the battle continued.

"Boys!"

The blades stopped in mid slice as the two angels looked down to the ground, where, below them, Jenny stood, tapping one foot and arms crossed in impatience. Her facial expression was skeptical and slightly crabby with a few strands of hair in front of her face. "What did I say about staging battles in the house?

Pit bent his head as his cheeks flushed slightly. "Um…to not to?"

Jenny nodded and sighed, hand to her forehead. "Yes, Pit. Now come down, you two. Breakfast is ready. And Kuro, please put a shirt on before you sit down."

Kuro dipped his head respectfully and flew off to Pit's room where he kept most of his clothes.

Pit landed on the ground and followed Jenny to the kitchen, where she had set a plate covered in toasted bread on the table, along with a large container of Nutella.

"Orange juice?"

Pit smiled as he took a chair and grabbed a piece of toast, slathering it hazelnut spread. "Yes, please."

Kuro walked into the room, a black thin t-shirt now covering his bare chest, as Jenny set the glass in front of Pit, whose face was stuffed with bread and Nutella. Jenny immediately set down a mug of hot tea in front of the dark angel, who gave her a quiet thank you in return.

"Weapons off the table," Jenny pointed to the two sets of knives that had been laid neatly on the table's surface. Pit swallowed another bite of bread and, with an exasperated half-eye roll, set his own pair down on a countertop next to him. Kuro did the same, his expression one of annoyance, but compliance as he copied the action.

Jenny finally sat across from the two, a mug of her own tea in hand. Pit, though his mind was truly on his food, as usual, knew for a fact that Jenny was watching him. Living with the woman for so long had trained Pit to know all of her feelings and sense exactly when she was looking at him. Pit felt his cheeks flush slightly as he looked down at his breakfast. The only problem this time was that he wasn't sure why.

Jenny cleared her throat slightly, causing Pit's attention to immediately be drawn off of his food and onto her. Jenny's green, green eyes met his own blue, almost unblinkingly. Then they swiveled to Kuro's, who matched her gaze with an unprecedented edge. They remained that way for a few seconds, before Jenny broke the gaze and sighed loudly.

"So," she said, her tone almost awkward, "Today…this is it…you have about six hours until you leave." She brushed a hand through her long, red hair. "So, what are you planning to do?"

"Train," Kuro said matter-of-factly, his arms crossed as the empty plate of toast lay before him, polished clean.

Pit looked sadly at the empty plate before turning to Kuro. "We shouldn't use up our strength, though. We need all the help we can get for the battle."

Kuro nodded after a moment's hesitation. "I guess that's fair. So mostly, we need to talk strategy."

Pit blinked in acknowledgment. "Yeah, like how are we going to get the other angels to help us? And how till we take down the Shadow Angels."

"And which one of us will get Medusa, and which one gets Palutena."

Pit nodded. "And what weapons should we use and look out for. And how many monsters should we look out for if Shadow Angels are the main section of the army now."

"True. And—."

Jenny held her hand up, silencing Kuro mid-speech. "Obviously, you have a lot to talk about. So, I'll leave you here so you can—."

"You're leaving today?"

The three figures at the table swiveled in surprise to face the opening to the kitchen. Standing there, eyes wide and hair in a muss, stood Kaitlyn.

* * *

><p>As Jenny gazed upon the two angels who ate hungrily before her, Pit's heart-wrenching words suddenly came back to her: "<em>Don't worry. As soon as my wings grow out to full size, I'll get back to Angel Land. Then you won't have to buy so much."<em>

Jenny swallowed hard, sipping her tea quietly as the two boys discussed their plans for the battle. Her eyes slowly began to water as strategies were passed between the two. She had grown to trust and love these two boys, and with their talk of battle as though it were an everyday occurrence...it caused her to realize just how in danger her two little angels were.

But Jenny knew just how focused the boys were. To them, this was their life. They were fully prepared to go and fight for their home and the freedom of the other angels. But Jenny had also seen just how deadly the Shadow Angels could be, and she knew that both of the angels would probably not come out unscathed. Jenny felt a shiver run through her body. She was the lawful guardian of Pit, and had basically become the same for Kuro even if she hadn't officially adopted him. But these two teenagers meant a lot to her. They were clever, powerful, fun, and quirky, and Jenny found joy in taking care of them, even if they were constantly in trouble. And now…it was going to be finished.

Finally it was too much, all the talk of war. Her heart squeezed inside of her chest. And before she could break down completely, she cut off the dark angel as he spoke. "Obviously, you have a lot to talk about. So, I'll leave you here so you can—."

"You're leaving today?"

Jenny turned to the small voice that came from the corner in surprise. Kaitlyn. The blonde stood in the archway to the kitchen area. Her green eyes were wide and shone in the light, flicking every once and a while from the people's faces to the outstretched wings on Kuro and Pit's back, flinching as the feathers moved. Her curls were out of place, but cute all the same. Around her thin shoulders hung a blanket, similar to a cape. The clothes over her were slightly large, seeing as they were Jenny's and Jenny was a few heads taller than the girl.

Pit leaped to his feet, eyes wide and focused directly on the blonde. "Kaitlyn! Are you—"

Kaitlyn raised a commanding hand that stopped his words in his tracks. Her eyes flashed a brilliant green and her small face formed a frown. "You didn't answer my question, Pit. Are you leaving today?"

Pit blinked in surprise, but nodded, looking to the floor.

Kaitlyn blinked her own eyes and slowly walked over to the table, sitting down in the empty chair. She made no eye contact, but looked down to the ground as she said, "Do you have anything that I can eat, Ms. Shoner?"

Jenny gave a half-smile and laid a hand on the quiet girl, suddenly so shy. "Of course, Kaitlyn. Would you like some toast?"

Kaitlyn nodded, still avoiding eye contact. "Yes, ma'am, thank you."

Jenny hurried to the toaster and immediately threw a few more pieces of bread in before turning back to the table. Pit was also keeping his eyes away from the girl, choosing to instead watch the stove top, which had nothing on it, with full, undivided attention. Kuro, on the other hand, was not so subtle: his gaze was planted firmly on Kaitlyn, eyes narrowed, and when Kaitlyn looked up, her green eyes met his cold red ones. Kaitlyn blushed slightly and gazed back to the ground, but Kuro still continued to stare at her, as though peering into the very depths of her soul. Jenny gave an inward sigh. Oh, this was going to be slightly awkward.

"Are you feeling better?" Kuro suddenly said, breaking the silence with a slightly cold tone.

Kaitlyn looked up in surprise, her eyes again meeting Kuro's, but this time, she did not break contact. "Yes, I am. Thank you very much…" she broke off, "I'm sorry…I don't know your name…"

Kuro's eyes turned colder. "Kuro…Pit's cousin."

Kaitlyn blinked. "You're not really his cousin, are you?"

"Fake cousins," Kuro said, his tone revealing no surprise at her observation.

Kaitlyn turned to Pit. "So…why are you leaving?"

Pit finally turned to Kaitlyn, his expression almost exasperated, but lighter…more of a regretful look. He gazed at Kaitlyn, his eyes sad. "I can't stay here, Kaitlyn."

Jenny wanted to scream out to the angel her resentment at his statement. Pit _could_ stay! He could live on Earth with her. She could watch him grow up, maybe even finish high school and go off to college. But she bit her tongue tightly to keep her words from leaking out. He _could _stay…it was whether he _should_ or not that was a problem.

Kaitlyn blinked, her eyes shining brightly in the light with a piercing observance. "Why?"

Pit flicked his hair in surprise, cocking his head slightly. "Kaitlyn…" he said slowly, "I'm an angel…not a human. I can't live in a human world when my own is being threatened. I have a duty to my world and my goddess. I can't let them both be destroyed. It's up to me and my people to eliminate the evil that's overtaken my home. I'm the one who is supposed to save the Skyworld, and I have to follow that, for the greater good of the angels and Angel Land."

Kuro gave a snort, crossing his arms as Pit fell silent. "Since when did you give inspirational speeches?"

Pit whacked his friend playfully in the shoulder, but to tell the truth, Jenny was equally impressed. Pit has always shown a powerful desire to go back home and take care of the Underworld monsters that had occupied it, but his words almost seemed too old for him. Pit normally spoke in cheerful banter, his eyes gleaming with an amused and humorous flame that lit his personality, but now he shone with hard, sheer determination. Jenny watched as the feathers on Pit's wings flared out gently, then curled back in as though clenching as a fist would. Pit was prepared, and that, to Jenny, was terrifying.

"Well," Kaitlyn said after a slight pause, "you know what this means, right?"

Pit's eyes became confused.

Kaitlyn stood up, eyes flashing and arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm coming with you."

A long silence hung over the room. Pit stared at Kaitlyn as though she had grown more heads and eyes than an Underworld monster, Kuro raised a single eyebrow, looking interested, and Kaitlyn glared at the two, daring them to speak. Jenny wasn't sure how someone who had not long ago been so completely out of it was now demanding passage to a place she didn't know with people she barely knew. Jenny could not decide if the girl was over-independent, stubborn, or just delusional.

Jenny slowly walked to the girl, gently touching Kaitlyn's shoulder with her fingertips. A feeling of warm, motherly affection flooded over the older woman for the young girl. Jenny had only even had boys living in her home. But now this girl needed her help. It was time for Jenny to turn on a more maternal role.

"Kaitlyn," she said soothingly, "dear…do you know what you're saying?"

Kaitlyn turned on Jenny, teeth bared and eyes wild. "Why do you think I'm here, for a Bed and Breakfast night? I have a rifle. I can shoot things. Why else do you think I would have brought it?"

Jenny had no intention of acting up. Anger in her would only ruin the situation. As a nurse, Jenny had been trained that if the doctor was calm, then the patient would most likely also be calm. So Jenny merely blinked her eyes, gazing deep into Kaitlyn's.

"Kaitlyn, how did you end up on our front step in the middle of a rainstorm? And with a rifle?"

Kaitlyn slapped Jenny's hand away and broke the contact between them, but not before Jenny saw a flash of pain enter her eyes, the cold, hard edge dying for a split second. Kaitlyn took a step back, eyes once again steely.

"Why should I tell you anything?" she snapped, "I'm legally on my own now. I belong to no one."

Jenny took a sharp breath. "You're legally independent? Already?"

Kaitlyn shrugged. "I'm sixteen. All the papers have been signed."

Jenny felt a stab of sorrow pierce her heart for the young girl. If only the girl knew what being that independent was like… "Where will you live?"

Kaitlyn shrugged almost apathetically. "I have friends."

"How will you get money?"

"I'll find work."

"Will you finish scho—?"

"Will you quit questioning me?!" Kaitlyn suddenly snapped, cutting Jenny's question off, "I don't have to do anything I don't want to anymore. I'm on my own!"

Jenny gazed somberly at Kaitlyn, biting her lip. Oh, how she hated to play this last card, her final and desperate one…but the girl needed to let go, release her anger, and realize her mistake, even if it was nearly justified.

"Kaitlyn," Jenny said after a slight pause, "where did those bruises come from?"

The blonde jerked back as though she had been slapped. Her face revealed disgust, rage, and above all, terror. Her body became rigid with a look that simulated an oncoming battle. Everything about her: face, eyes, form…they were all ready for a fight.

"What are you talking about?"

Jenny took a breath, feeling older than she had in a long time. Maybe it came of her living with all males for so long: everything about her was straightforward and when males had a problem, it was made to be let out. In this case, Jenny saw Kaitlyn the same way. "Something happened to you…in your family li—."

"I have no family."

Kaitlyn's answer was so sudden and quiet, Jenny nearly blinked achingly in shock.

"Everyone has a—."

"Not everyone…not like you…"

Jenny gazed at the young girl, her stance now slightly slumped. Her eyes were dulled, glassy with tears. Her lip trembled slightly, her teeth biting the lower one to keep from the shaking. It was like a sudden mood swing, but Jenny was no longer surprised.

Compassion flowed over Jenny as the older woman gently wrapped an arm around the young broken girl. Jenny had known from previous experience that when she had visual evidence, it was not at all easy to oppose the people who tried to shy away from the truth. Jenny knew about the dark bruises that littered the girl's back and chest because it was Jenny that had cleaned off the girl and had dressed her. Kaitlyn knew that any arguing now would be pointless.

Jenny led Kaitlyn back to her chair, settling her down and placing the well toasted bread in front of her. Kaitlyn hurriedly brushed tears away, saying a quick, quiet thank you before munching miserably on her toast.

Kuro and Pit hurriedly averted their gazes from Kaitlyn, Pit flushing and Kuro suddenly very interested in the toaster. Kaitlyn slowly ate the food, eyes on the table.

Jenny nearly gave a sigh. _And here we are again…_

"If you want to come with us, we have to know."

Jenny jerked her head to focus on Pit, whose intense line of sight was directed at Kaitlyn. The girl blinked sharply at Pit, who looked back with stern blue eyes.

"Know what?" Kaitlyn asked quietly.

"Know what happened. How did you end up on our porch? Why did you have a gun with you? Why do have so many bruises? And why are you so untrusting?"

Kaitlyn's gaze met his as she set the toast down. "Why do you need to know?"

"Because if you want to come with us, not that I'm saying you will, I have to be able to trust you. And I can't trust you if you're holding back you whole life story and all your problems."

Kuro raised an eyebrow at his companion. "You don't trust me," he said, as though reminding Pit of something very important.

"But I know more about you than I know about Kaitlyn," Pit pointed out, "I was there when you were created remember?" He turned back to the girl. "I know your life was hard, but I need to know why."

Kaitlyn blinked, wrapping the blanket-cape tighter around her until it was similar to a cocoon. Her eyes dipped to the ground. "How much," she said in nearly a whisper, "do you want to know?"

Pit blinked his hard eyes. "Everything that could be important."

"Then we might need somewhere more comfortable."

**And there you go, chapter 19...I know it was a little slow, but I'm preparing for a big next chapter. I started writing it in my leftover time in Physics class yesterday, and I'm super excited! **

**So, tell me what you think...**

**Again, sorry for the long update! I feel really bad about that...**

**pixeljam**


	20. Kaitlyn's Story

**Wow, I actually wrote this one pretty quickly, but to tell you the truth, I just couldn't stop! I have 26 dyas until NaNoWriMo starts, so I'll try to write the next two chapters as quickly and as well as possible. **

**WARNING: This chapter might make you cry...I did.**

**Also, just so you know, the book I quoted in the earlier chapter was Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. That's just for disclaimer's sake.**

**I really enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you do too! I have almost 20,000 views on my story! Thanks so much, everyone! You guys rock! I've been loving all of the reviews and PMs. I'm a little short on time so I'll have to cut the author's note here. But I'll be back soon!**

* * *

><p>"It's all her fault!"<p>

The doctor clutched the tiny bundle closer to his chest, eyes wide and frightened. The man in front of him roared in grief, sinking into the chair behind him. He was surprised that all the loud noise had not woken the girl, but the tiny blonde girl was still fast asleep, eyes that had first opened and revealed to be a brilliant green only minutes ago. Her small, pink face was smooth and calm in rest, as though she were content with the world. But the doctor couldn't help but pity the small child, especially with the trauma that had come with her birth.

The doctor fixed his glasses, keeping the baby snugly in the crook of his elbow. "Sir, you really must calm down."

The man turned his face to the doctor, tears streaming down what would have been rather handsome features. So far, the doctor could see absolutely nothing in common with the father's looks to the baby's, but he knew he could not judge so early. Still, the baby's fair hair was just about the opposite of the man's dark brows and cocoa locks, and her green eyes shone brightly compared to the man's dark grey that were clouded with sorrow.

"How…?" The man choked, tears falling from his long eyelashes, "Everything I love is gone…"

The doctor gazed down at the little girl. "Do you not love your daughter?"

The man looked to the bundle, as though just realizing that out of all of the complications and problems that someone other than the doctor and himself was in the room, despite the fact that he had been screaming at her for almost three minutes. He slowly stood up, walked over to the doctor and gently took the bundle, gazing down into the tiny face of the little girl.

Suddenly, the baby girl's mouth opened into a huge yawn, her green eyes flashing open and gazing up the scruffy stubble, grey eyes, and shining cheeks. The girl gave a giggling laugh, and her lips spread apart in a wide smile, revealing a set of pink gums.

The man flinched and jerked back, his lips curling back in disgust. "She even _looks_ like Julia."

The doctor again looked at the girl, who he now realized indeed looked like her mother had. The fair hair, green eyes…they were both very similar to the woman who had less than an hour ago left the world.

"Perhaps she is the memory you have been looking for," the doctor said timidly, holding out the girl. The man looked warily at the bundle, the girl giggling at her father's face. Her eyes were bright and her rosy lips upturned and apart, spurting out giggles and laughs in a way that caused the doctor's spirits to lift slightly. The girl sounded so happy to be born, so happy to be alive. And yet, her father still gazed at her as though she were a bomb, waiting to see if she would explode.

The man walked slowly forwards, slowly taking the bundle of blankets into his arms. He held it awkwardly, looking down in worry. The doctor nearly smiled. Every first time father it seemed was like this, but for some reason, this gaze made even him feel uncomfortable. Was it the lack of understanding in the man's eyes? Without a mother, how would the girl grow up? How would the man deal with a motherless daughter?

The doctor watched as the man stepped out of the hospital, baby girl in his arms. This future was unpredictable as the next.

* * *

><p>"Are you Mr. Dufrene?"<p>

The man gave a half, almost roguish smile. "Yes, I am."

The woman shook the man's hand. She was a smart looking woman, with hair tied tightly back in a caramel bun. Her brown eyes inspected the man in front of her. The two looked nothing alike, father and daughter. The man's dark hair was a ruffled mess, the stubble of a beard growing on his chin. His shirt creased, obviously never having been introduced to an iron before. All in all, the woman found little respect in him. It was quite odd, seeing as Kaitlyn was always so well dressed. Her hair always hung in perfect blonde curls, her clothes neat and bright. She had seen a lot of parents come into her classroom, but all during her career of teaching kindergarten, she had never seen two biological family members so different in appearance.

"I'm Ms. Cyan, Kaitlyn's teacher," the woman said cheerfully, despite her prim look, "I'm here to speak to you about Kaitlyn."

Mr. Dufrene's body went stiff, a dangerous gleam entering his eyes. "What about her?" he grunted.

Ms. Cyan swallowed, hard. She straightened the papers in front of her almost nervously. "Sir, it says here that you and your daughter live here in the city?" What was meant as a statement seemed to come out as a question, as though the woman was also wondering if her facts were true or not.

The man nodded.

"Is it also true that you live nearly a mile away?"

"Yes. Is there a point to this?"

Ms. Cyan re-straightened her papers, though the sheets were in no need of being straightened once again. But she was nervous. "Sir, I have never seen you here at the school before. How often do you drop your daughter off?"

"I never do."

"Do you know what family your daughter carpools with?"

"She doesn't."

"Pardon me?"

"She rides the L."

The woman's heart beat faster. "She rides the train?!"

Mr. Dufrene nodded.

"By _herself?!_"

Another nod.

"_Every day?!_"

Mr. Dufrene raised an eyebrow. "Really, Ms. Cyan, I don't see how Kaitlyn fits in with this."

Ms. Cyan straightened up in her chair, gazing with ferocity at the man. "You mean to tell me that your six year old daughter, who is still attending kindergarten, rides through the city alone, every morning, to come to school?"

The man nodded, his expression as confused and apathetic as ever.

The tall woman started to gently rap her pencil eraser against her desk. "Don't you find this dangerous?"

Mr. Dufrene shrugged in a way that made Ms. Cyan's blood boil in anger. "She's a good kid. She'll be fine."

"Sir, I don't know if you are aware of this, but it is in school policy here that your daughter be safe on her way, while at, and on her way home from school. I must request that you take her home every day in your car, or at least ride home with her."

"And ride all the way home with her? That's a ridiculous notion!"

Ms. Cyan was taken aback by the sharp words. She blinked a few times before continuing. "What exactly do you mean, sir?"

"Why do you think I put her in school?"

"So she can learn?"

The man raised his eyebrow again. "So I don't have to have her around. So someone else can take care of her and I don't have to deal with her all the time."

Ms. Cyan felt her heart and mouth drop. How could…just…how…? "You…you send you daughter to school…so you don't have to take care of her?"

"Yes."

"How…?" The woman let her mouth hang open for a few seconds, "How can you not want to spend time with your daughter?!"

The man's face grew angry, eyes stormy. "I have reasons for everything I do, Ms. Cyan. And if you don't understand, and your school doesn't, maybe I should just take my daughter somewhere else."

The next day, Ms. Cyan was alerted that Kaitlyn had been pulled out.

* * *

><p>Kaitlyn tiptoed into the room through the doorway, making sure that the heavy door swung shut in a way that was almost silent. But she still winced at the ever so slight pressure in her ears as the door slid against the jamb. Her back straightened, eyes and ears on immediate alert.<p>

Only when Kaitlyn was sure that she was alone did she let out her held breath. Her shoulders slumped down, and her eyes shut as she leaned against a wall.

As if Middle School wasn't bad enough…

Kaitlyn slowly walked up the stained-carpet stairway to the one room she could be in without a screaming match starting up. She slowly opened the door, gazing at what had become the one clean room of the house. Everything in her room was perfectly placed. Even the walls were the only ones not covered in cigarette marks and peeling paint.

Kaitlyn slowly breathed in the cool air of her room. She always kept her window open. It allowed for less of the rank smell of the rest of the house to affect her. If there was one thing she prided herself on, it was her cleanliness.

The sound of a slamming door snapped Kaitlyn from her peaceful relaxation. She jerked around, setting her backpack quietly down on the ground. She winced, begging for more silence.

"KAITLYN!"

The blonde girl gave a loud sigh as she defiantly flicked back her curls. She set her jaw, straightening her shoulders out and marched from the room like a soldier. Everything about her was rigid. Even her eyes had narrowed down to hard slits.

She met him in the living room. Kaitlyn nearly held her breath. The room was dark, all of the curtains closed. Actually, Kaitlyn couldn't remember the last time the blackout fabric had been opened to allow light in.

But the lack of light did not change Kaitlyn's view of her father. He resembled the rest of the house: dark, dirty, and smelly.

"So," he said, eyes narrowing, "where are the leftovers?"

Kaitlyn set her eyes on her father's, her gaze not wavering as she slid a hand into one of her coat pockets and drew out a handful of dollar bills, a small pile of quarters, and a few nickels. She slowly handed them to her father, making it as obvious as possible that she disapproved of everything he did.

Mr. Dufrene snatched up the money, and began to count busily. His eyes narrowed all the farther as he lingered on the last nickel. His small eyes, beady now in proportion to the rest of his body, swiveled towards Kaitlyn. "You're missing a dollar and fifty-five cents, Katie dear. You didn't steal it, did you?"

_Even I'm not _that _stupid_, Kaitlyn though with an inward snap. Stealing was not tolerated in her household, or at least, she wasn't allowed to steal. She had no idea if her father did. Instead, she stared right back. "I gave it to a homeless woman on the way home."

Her father snarled. "You gave our money to a beggar?"

Kaitlyn crossed her arms, defiance rising in her chest. She knew she would regret her words, but she could not hold back from snapping, "No better than me giving it to you."

Her father's eyes flashed in the limited light as he drew so close, Kaitlyn could smell the rancid mixture of tobacco and liquor on his breath. "This is my money!"

"No," Kaitlyn whipped back, "actually, it's mine. I earned it. You just feed off of me! I buy everything I use, and I make the money myself. You spend your days making money and your nights spoiling it on drinks!"

Her father's eyes burned with hatred. He grabbed at his belt, a thick leather piece of material, and whipped it off. He snapped it out, cracking it like a whip. Kaitlyn forced herself not to flinch. She knew what was coming. It happened every time her quick tongue took hold.

_I will not cry_.

Her father approached. Kaitlyn stood still, her body reflecting anger and boldness despite her sudden fear. She swallowed hard.

_I will not cry_.

She found herself shoved to the ground, her father looming over her. She felt every muscle in her body flex as he raised the leather above her spine.

_I will not cry_.

The belt snapped against her back. Kaitlyn felt the pain sear through her back. Every muscle in her screamed to cry out. She forced the brimming tears back.

_I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not…_

* * *

><p>Kaitlyn gazed around her ever neat room, her one sanctuary in the place she had never called home. The decorations, the notebooks…they would only slow her down. She had no need for those things now, not if her plan worked. And so far, it was running perfectly. She was now legally independent. Her father had actually suggested it, and she was more than happy to oblige.<p>

Her father had given her one day to pack her things.

She narrowed her eyes, looking out into the dark, sheeting rain through her open window. She shivered. She would need to keep warm until she arrived at her destination…and she would need a way to defend herself. Years living in her house had convinced her of that much.

Kaitlyn stalked around the house, gazing in and out of rooms. The knives in the kitchen might be useful, but they were dull and had been for years.

Then she found it.

Kaitlyn stumbled through her father's room, entering the closet. It hadn't been used in years, even she knew that. But the shine of silver caught her eye as she walked by.

Kaitlyn took down the long silver and wood tube, gazing in awe at the beautiful weapon. She never knew her father had a gun and a rifle at that. Kaitlyn gently rubbed her hand along the barrel. Now this was a weapon.

The bullets were next.

* * *

><p>Kaitlyn gave a sigh, tightening the blanket closer around her. Pit gazed at the girl, tears now streaming down her angelic face. Her freckles stood out against her pale cheeks, her blond hair curling down in still a rather ruffled way.<p>

The four in the room were silent. Even Kuro had no smart comment on his lips. Kaitlyn gazed to the floor and the other three looked at her: Pit with horror, Jenny with deep sorrow, and Kuro with a look that seemed to match deep understanding.

"I came here," Kaitlyn said slowly, "to start over, and I suspected the angels could help me." She swallowed, "I thought _Pit _might be able to help me." Her eyes rested on the young brunette, "You're the first guy I think I've ever trusted."

Pit blinked. It touched him that Kaitlyn thought so highly of him, especially after hearing all of the harsh things she had gone through. And, to tell you them the truth, he really _wanted_ Kaitlyn with him.

Pit stood, slowly walking past Kaitlyn to Jenny. His blue eyes met hers. "Can I talk to you?"

Pit felt relief flow over him as Jenny nodded. The two stepped away from the couches, leaving Kaitlyn and Kuro there. Pit half smiled. They would be fine. They never talked to each other anyhow.

When Pit was sure he was out of hearing range, he broke into a hurried whisper. "Jenny, you're going to think I'm insane…but I think Kaitlyn should come with us."

The orange-haired woman heaved a heavy sigh, crossing her arms. "How did I know you were going to say that, Pit?" She set her green eyes on his. "But I have a feeling you haven't thought this through."

"How?"

"Well, how are you going to get her up there?"

Pit thought for a moment. "Well, Kuro and I could carry her."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to ask Kuro about that yourself. Also, you seem to forget that you're walking into a battle-zone. Kaitlyn's never been in an all-out battle before, of that I can assure you."

"She has her gun, right?"

"And how experienced is she in firing a gun?"

Pit reflected briefly on Kaitlyn's words to him almost a month ago. They had been walking out of Gym class…after the archery course. "Actually, she's apparently a pretty good shot."

Jenny's eyes grew weary, her shoulders slumping slightly and her frame sagging. It was at these moments that Pit realized just how much Jenny had gone through. She had taken care of her one son when the father had walked out on her. She had worked her way up to a career. She had even taken in not one, but two angels when she was practically half way through her life. A new level of respect flowed through Pit for his guardian. She had sacrificed her own comfort to take care of those who needed help.

"Pit," she said slowly, "if Kaitlyn wants to go, I can't legally stop her. In fact, I almost agree with you."

Pit blinked in surprise as Jenny continued.

"I of course can offer her the opinion of an older woman and a mother, but she's independent now. She's basically on her own." Jenny bent down, her eyelevel the same as Pit's. Her eyes grew hard, "But if you take her up there, Pit Shoner, you had better promise me you'll take good care of this girl. She has been through too much for you to screw up now and destroy her emotions. This girl has no life on Earth. You had better make her Skyworld life worth living."

Pit immediately threw his hand up in a salute. "Ma'am, yes Ma'am!" He felt his face relax into a smile. "You're great, Jenny. Did you know that?"

Jenny took a large breath, heaving it out in a tired yet calm smile. "I try, Pit. I really do."

* * *

><p>Kuro let his gaze follow Jenny and Pit as they left the living room. That left him and Kaitlyn.<p>

Kuro wasn't an awkward person. In fact, he usually covered any outward signs of awkwardness with cold stares, grunts, and blatant apathy. Being alone in a room with a girl? Simple: he ignored her.

"I don't agree with my friends."

Her voice startled him. Kuro whipped his head around, his cold eyes meeting Kaitlyn's. She gazed right back, her harsh green eyes boring holes into Kuro's.

Kuro raised a single eyebrow, trying to look less annoyed than usual. He gave a hum in response, nodding at her to continue.

Kaitlyn's cheeks flushed a slight red, her small lips twitching up in a half smile. "They all think you're extremely attractive. I personally think Pit's better looking."

Kuro nearly snorted in laughter. Her comment just felt so out of place. After a long, heavy, deep, and real reveling of her innermost life and the hardships and trials she had had to endure, she suddenly came out with a comment about the attractiveness of guys. Kuro knew she was just trying to break the ice, but he still felt like bursting into laughter. "Well," he said, unable to hold back a partial smile, "you'd probably be the first. It seemed like every freaking girl in that school was stalking me."

Kaitlyn let out a huffing breath, her smile growing. "I think you're actually right on that one. I've never met a guy that's gotten more flirty looks than you. Kelsey's probably still moaning about how you wouldn't take her out. She doesn't take rejections lightly."

Kuro rolled his eyes. "Kelsey can go and throw herself in a lake for all I care. Even for a girl she has no depth of character. If she knew even half of what I've gone through in my life, she would probably think twice about looking at me like that." Kuro suddenly sucked in a sharp breath. Had he really said that much? He bit his tongue, forcing the muscles to relax.

But the damage was already done. Kaitlyn cocked her head slightly, limp curls half bouncing. "What happened to you in your life?"

Kuro swallowed hard, his defenses already rising rapidly. "It's really none of your business," he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest and breaking eye contact.

"Oh," came the small reply.

The room was plunged into silence. Kuro inwardly chided himself on being so open…but, for some reason, he really wanted to tell this girl his story, or at least part of it. It wasn't that he was attracted towards her, not in the way Pit was. But he felt some sort of connection between himself and the human, a connection only their back stories could fully piece together.

"I have no parents," he spat out before he could control his tongue.

There was a long pause. Kuro again silently scolded himself. Kaitlyn's quiet reply took a few seconds. "Did…did they die?"

"I never had them in the first place," he again said, his arms tightening across his chest, "I was created. I had no choice. I was a part of Pit once. But I was pulled out and made into my own being by a freak named Pandora." Kuro snarled to himself. "I am supposed to be Pit's 'Better Half'. But something went wrong and I turned into _this_." He spat out the words as though they were poison. "Everything I do is wrong. Even the gods won't take me in. No one trusts me. And I didn't even have a choice in the matter!" Kuro took a breath, feeling the rage in his chest slowly fall. He nearly screamed in anger at himself. When had he ever said so much in one sitting? He felt as though he were an open book, a feeling he hated. And now he was pouring out his anger on a little blonde girl?! What was his problem?!

Another silence ensued.

"We have a lot more in common than I thought," Kaitlyn said slowly.

Kuro gave a terse nod. He had realized the same thing when Kaitlyn had been telling her story. The two had both had harsh backgrounds, even if their stories were completely different. Kaitlyn had been an abused child, Kuro had been created for the gods purposes, but both hated their pasts and both were looking for an escape.

A smile twitched on Kuro's lips. "You know, Kate?" Kuro said after the long pause, relishing his use of a nickname other than his, "You're not half bad."

Kaitlyn flashed him a brilliant smile. Kuro smiled back. Suddenly, the added member of their group didn't seem like so much of a burden.

* * *

><p>Pit spread out his wings, feeling the soft wind brush his feathers. He gave a loud sigh.<p>

"The wind feels right," he said slowly, letting the air brush against him and through his hair. Kuro stood next to him, his own black-as-night wings out to their full extent. With his eyes closed, Kuro looked as though he were leaning into the wind, ready to fall onto a cloud in comfort. He had changed back into his toga and laurel, looking almost slightly out of place. Unfortunately, Pit had grown out of his toga since he had been on Earth, so he still wore his white t-shirt, jeans, and Nike's. He had seriously considered slitting holes into his jacket, but instead wore it around his waist. Kaitlyn flanked his other side, her clothes prim and neat, her blonde curls all back in place. With her boots, jean skirt, white long sleeve and jean vest, she looked more as though she were going out dancing than to a battle, but Pit still found her beautiful.

"Are you sure?" Jenny fretted. "Maybe another hour will do?"

Pit turned back, feeling a weak smile touch his lips. "No, it's just fine."

"And you have everything you need? Knives? Bow?"

Pit nodded.

Jenny held up what Pit recognized as his school backpack. "I filled this with some things you might want when you get back home." Jenny handed him the pack, her words trembling. Pit gazed up at the woman's soft face. Her eyes were bright with held tears, her expression sorrowful. Pit felt a pang ache through his body, one of longing and of grief. This woman had taken him in, a little lost angel in a city he did not know. She, who hadn't even known him, had brought him into her house, fed him, clothed him, and had dealt with him through all of his struggles. Pit tried to blink back his tears, but he only lasted for a few seconds before he threw himself at Jenny, wrapping his arms around her waist. His face met her shoulder, on which his tears fell. Immediately, Jenny's hand went to his head, rocking him back and forth, her fingers running gently through his hair. Pit felt drops of water dampen his brown locks, Jenny's tears falling upon him.

"You've grown so much, Pit," Jenny half-choked.

"I'm going to miss you," Pit replied, "…Mom."

Pit felt Jenny stiffen, then relax again, a tearful laugh escaping her lips. The two finally broke apart, gazing at one another's wet faces. Pit would never forget Jenny; it was impossible for him to, after everything the woman had done for him.

Jenny finally let go of Pit's hands, turning to Kuro. The dark angel dipped his head to the woman. Jenny nodded respectfully back before grabbing him into a hug as well. Kuro was as stiff as a rod when it came to public displays of affection, and this case was no different. But he showed no anger when Jenny finally let him go.

"Thanks for taking care of Pit," Kuro said solemnly, or almost so, seeing as he held a slight air of humor in his voice, "It made finding him a whole lot easier."

"I'm glad I could help," Jenny replied, "You keep an eye on him for me, alright?"

Kuro dipped his head again, blinking quietly. "I understand. I'll do the best I can until the Goddess can take over."

Jenny smiled warmly at him. "And take care of yourself, understand? I don't want to hear anything bad about you if I ever get any news."

Kuro returned her a half smile. "Yes, Ma'am."

Jenny finally turned to Kaitlyn, the last of the three. By this time, her tears were dried and her eyes shining. She gently pulled Kaitlyn into a hug, which Kaitlyn gratefully returned.

"You keep those two boys in line, understood?"

Kaitlyn giggled slightly. "I will."

Jenny gazed out at the three teenagers, her shoulders hanging down and her smile only halfhearted. She gazed upon each of them for a few seconds. But the two words that came from her mouth were enough. "Be safe."

Pit couldn't help but salute. Kuro did the same, and Kaitlyn mimicked the two, her gaze shining.

"Permission to leave for battle, Commander Shoner?"

Jenny saluted back, a single tear streaking down her cheeks. "Permission granted, General Pit."

**I...I...(*breaks down into tears*) Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry for making this as sad and sweet as it was. I really am! I just...I was just so into it...but I loved writing this. It was beautiful, or to me it was. **

**(*dries tears*) Okay, back to business. As you know, this story is almost over (*sobs*). I'm so sad! You guys have been the best crowd ever! I can't imagine writing for anyone better than you! You all are amazing, you really are, and I know I say that every chapter, but I really mean it! I love you guys!**

**Anyhow, as always, tell me what you thought of this. I'm coming up with the next chapter as fast as my speedy brain will allow, but my schoolwork comes first (Calculus is killing me...), so I promise (well, mostly) to write a little every night. This chapter might take me more of a week to do because the idea is so detailed and needs a lot of planning, but I guarantee that you'll love the ending to this story. I came up with it today (another reason I cried). Anyhow, love you all! review or PM me if you want to get into contact with me for any reason!**

**~pixeljam**


	21. Return to Angel Land

**I was originally planning on this being the second to last chapter, but I put too much in (it was all necessary, I promise you!) and so you'll have to wait another couple chapters for the end. I'm sorry about that! I'm really sorry!**

**Anyhow, THANK YOU REVIEWERS! You guys make my huge writing streaks and new chapters possible, and you guys really are amazing! Thank you for reading my work. I'm already brainstorming for my next story, which I hope will make you as happy as this one. Thank you guys so much for your commitment and dedication to this story. It really means a lot to me! **

**And Dragonguy54321? I forgot to mention your name in the last Author Note...SO HERE'S A HUGE THANK YOU FROM YOUR WRITER! You are fantastic, and super patient, and you're always ready for an email. Thank you so much for your time and criticism, it means so much to me.**

* * *

><p>"It's…gone."<p>

From the moment Pit, Kuro, and Kaitlyn had set out from Jenny's house to the sky, Pit had been expecting something bad, but not nearly as rough as what he now saw.

Pit stared across the cobblestone roads to the valleys below. It was as though someone had taken a blowtorch to the Skyworld. The once thick green grass was now brown and thin, trees that should have been just changing from greens to reds in the early fall were bare, any leaves left crackled and brown. Storm clouds swirled above their heads dangerously, thundering every once in a while, yet with no sign of rain.

Pit blinked, forcing tears from his eyes. His home, the world he had grown up in, gone. The only recognizable thing still standing were the houses, but even the white marble had lost its shine. Soot caked the walls, dulling the beautiful stone.

"What—," Pit's voice caught in his throat. He bit his lower lip. "What happened?"

Kuro stepped past him, gazing with hard eyes into the desolate landscape. He turned back, face set. "Medusa happened. Come on. We have to reach Medusa's Temple without being seen."

"M-Medusa's Temple?"

Kuro's eyes were chips of blood-red diamonds. "Palutena's temple wasn't covered in red paint, last I checked. There have been a lot of changes around here Pit, and more than meets the eye."

He turned and walked down one of the cobblestone roads, not looking back to the others.

Pit blinked, swallowing hard as he gazed around the world that he had once loved so dearly. All that stood before him now was destruction. Everything was dead. Where there had once been light, now there was darkness. Where there had been growth was death. Even the breeze was drifted past Pit had no joy in it. At one point, Pit might have described the wind as playful, even whistling in tune with his thoughts. But now, it held the scent of rotting life, and it caused Pit to shiver as it streaked through his hair, the cold chill feeling as though invisible spirits were running their long, bony fingers through his brown locks.

Kaitlyn stepped up next to him, her beautiful green eyes wide. "I…I never imagined it looking like this."

Pit flinched, his mouth twitching slightly. "Yeah…neither did I…"

Kaitlyn rested a hand gently on his shoulder. "I'm really sorry…"

Pit shrugged, forcing his heart to remain hard. "It's not your fault at all, Kaitlyn. It's all Medusa. That freak…"

Kaitlyn hitched her gun higher into her arms, a dangerous glow entering her eyes. "Remind me to shoot that gal later on, 'K?"

Pit felt his mouth twitch into a half-smile. It felt very out of place in the midst of his ruined world, but he really couldn't help himself. It was as though his heart were longing for any form of humor.

"Where is everyone?" Pit finally asked when he and Kaitlyn had caught up to the dark angel.

Kuro shrugged. "Angels haven't been outside of their houses for a long time. I'm actually surprised they're still surviving. Anyone not in their houses right now is probably in the dungeons."

Pit raised an eyebrow. "There are no dungeons in the Skyworld."

Kuro stopped in his tracks, eyes cold yet sad as he turned back to Pit. "You'd be surprised, Pit."

For the next few feet, they walked in silence.

Pit finally spoke back up, gazing around. "Where are the Underworld Monsters? Shouldn't they be protecting Angel Land from intruders?"

"There haven't been Underworld Monsters in the Skyworld since the Shadow Angels were created," Kuro answered dully, "The Shadow Angels proved to be more of a threat to enemies, so the Monsters were sent back to the Underworld until further notice."

"Who's in charge of the Underworld while Medusa's up here?"

"She's still in charge. She relays her orders to the head Monster down there and makes sure he fulfils her orders." Kuro's hands clenched. "Actually, she promised me the Underworld at one point, if I was loyal to her." He let out a half, almost choked laugh. "I guess _that_ deal's off." Kuro looked warily around himself. "That still doesn't answer the question of why there are no Shadow Angels here guarding Angel Land, though."

Pit nearly stopped in his tracks. "Hold on…Kuro?"

Kuro and Kaitlyn tuned back to look at the angel whose face was twisted in horror. "What?"

"You're a Shadow Angel, right?"

Kuro shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

"And I'm the one you were created from, right?"

Kuro blinked. "I'm pretty sure that's right…where are you going with this?"

Pit swallowed hard. "Well…we figured out earlier that if I die, you die—."

Kuro held up a hand. "Not necessarily, Pit. I could just be put in an extreme form of suspended animation for a while, until my spirit recovers, if ever."

Pit blinked. "I'm going to pretend I understood that." He shook his head. "What I'm saying is, if we kill the Shadow Angels, will their original host or light side die as well?"

Kuro blinked and shook his head in denial of the comment. "No, at least, I'm pretty sure not. They were created by their evil or dark spirits being stripped from them. I'm a manifestation of your dark spirit, coming to life with the Mirror of Truth. They were split in two. If one dies, the other one absorbs the energy of the other side. We're part of the same piece, they've had their piece split down the middle. Get it?"

Pit blinked a few times in confusion before shaking his head slowly.

Kuro heaved a huge sigh. "Okay…fine. Try this: You and I are two sides of the same coin. Our coin is the same. With them, they're copies of one another, basically two coins that look exactly the same…but one is rustier than the other. Starting to understand?"

Pit shrugged. "Kind of…"

"Good," Kuro re-shouldered his bow, which had slid down his arm slightly, "Then let's get moving. The more sunlight we have, the better."

* * *

><p>Even Kuro had to admit, things in the Skyworld were worse than he had left them. He thought back to his small, secluded island, the one that he had spent his spare moments on. His fingers suddenly longed for the soft green grass and the fresh breeze.<p>

_You're starting to sound like Pit_.

Kuro brushed away the thought as well as the image of the island. He was getting soft, he knew it. He hardened his mind, forcing any sensitive thoughts from his mind. It was time for war. There was no room in him for sympathy now. Especially if everything went according to plan…

Kuro stopped as they approached the Temple. He turned to the two behind him. He never thought he would ever be leading Pit into a battle, or a human girl for that matter. It wasn't much of a team, that was for sure: an angel who had been MIA for over two months and a human female (a _blonde_, to boot) with absolutely no field experience. Kuro nearly rolled his eyes. Oh, this would be interesting.

Kuro heaved a breath. "Alright…planning time."

Pit and Kaitlyn stopped. Pit's eyes widened as he looked past Kuro. His mouth gaped open. "Is that…?"

Kuro turned back, gazing at the building. "Yup, the Temple."

Pit dipped his head slightly. "How long has it been red?"

Kuro snorted slightly. "Since Kestrel became a rebel. I'll tell you about it later," he added, seeing the question already arising in Pit, "We have a battle to plan right now. We just have a slight problem."

Kaitlyn blinked. "How so?"

"Well," he said, pointing to her, "you've never been here, so you can't go anywhere without another angel. Pit hasn't been here in a while, but he'll probably know where I'm talking about. I have the most experience in Neo-Angel Land, so I'm leader. Then we have the Medusa problem…"

Pit blinked. "So what's your plan, _Commander_."

Kuro scowled. "Easy. Release Palutena, start the uprising, and kill Medusa."

Pit rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You make it sound easy."

"Yeah, which it's everything _but_," Kuro snapped, "So we have to decide. Who'll find Palutena and who'll go for Medusa."

"What about the rebellion?" Kaitlyn jumped in, her eyes bright.

"The dungeon is filled with angels right now, including some of the big rebels, like Kestrel," Kuro answered, "If we release Palutena, she can get everyone else out, and they'll lead the angels to battle." Kuro turned to the brunette angel, "Pit, remember where the oak was?"

"Which one?" Pit asked.

"The ancient one, the one in Palutena's garden, in the center."

Pit smiled. "Sure!"

Kuro straightened. "Good. That's where the entrance to the dungeon is. You take Kaitlyn there. You two get Palutena out. I've got some unfinished business with Medusa." Kuro nearly growled, feeling a knot begin to form in his chest from anger. Oh, that woman was going to pay for what she had done.

"One problem."

Kuro turned back to Pit, who had his hand raised as though he were back in class.

Pit lowered his arm. "Well, from what it sounds like, the dungeons are high priority when it comes to security. Only you can kill Shadow Angels. How are we supposed to get down to Palutena if there are guards down there and we can't kill them?"

Kuro gave a half grin. "I'll send someone down there with you as soon as I get to the Temple."

"Who?"

Kuro waved away the question. "It doesn't matter. Right now, we need to worry about the battle. As soon as you release Palutena, all Hades is going to break loose. Everything is going to be chaotic. All the Shadow Angels will appear, and there are a lot of them. Hopefully, when you release Palutena, the Shadows will lose some of their power and you'll be able to kill them."

Kaitlyn looked impressed as she gazed up at him, eyebrow raised. "You're quite the tactician."

Kuro shrugged.

"Are we ready?"

Kaitlyn and Pit nodded, eyes wide and determined. Kuro nodded as well, giving a half-smile.

"Good luck."

There was no teary goodbye, no hugs, and no sign of teamwork or anything of the sort. Like leaves in the wind, they scattered, each to their destination, not looking back. There was no time to worry, no time to plan out an even cleaner strategy. For them, it was now or never.

Kuro ignored the tightness of his throat, forced out every emotion that told him to call out to the two teenagers behind him. He had to be hard and ruthless. There was no other way he was going to win this war, especially this battle. In this, he was alone.

And that was how he worked best.

Kuro spread out his oil-black wings, feeling the bone-dry breeze slam harshly into his feathers. But he wasn't going to use them, not yet. He had to preserve his energy. He was in for the fight of his life.

The dark angel sped across the stone road, wincing with every slap of his sandals on the ground. He needed to be silent.

Kuro slid neatly against the building, feeling the grainy marble under his sensitive fingertips. Every one of his senses was on hyperactive mode. He felt as though he could feel every gain of stone underneath his finger, hear every slight whistle to the wind, even taste the salty air. He felt his breaths quicken. This was it, his one chance to redeem himself for all of his faults, his one chance to repay Palutena. Kuro swallowed, pulling his bow from his back and allowing the metal to slip into his grasp. He eased himself into a more relaxed position, breathing out slowly.

_Now!_

Kuro threw himself into the Temple, skidding slightly on the polished floor. Every nerve in his body was on red alert. Even the slightest breath of the wind caused goose-bumps to rise along his arms. Kuro whipped around, teeth bared as a wolf protecting his territory might. This was his territory, or it soon would be.

And it was empty.

Kuro blinked in confusion, letting down his guard ever so slightly. The throne of cracked and flowing lava was unattended. A single candle burned nearby, the faint glow lighting the walls and darkening corners. Kuro took a sharp breath, whirling around again. There was nothing…

"Bravo, my Prince."

Kuro felt his heart race as he turned to one of the corners closest to the entryway of the temple. It was as though the shadows were peeling themselves away from the walls. Like a dark whirlwind, they formed, hardening into features. Kuro felt his eyes widen and breath grow short.

"Well now," Medusa said, snake hair unusually docile, "Are you here to kill me?"

* * *

><p>Kaitlyn had never been outside of Chicago before, so she had never really had any variation of landscape outside of the tall skyscrapers and large buildings of a busy city. But if she had been asked to describe a place where angels lived, she probably wouldn't have described it as the world that now lay before her.<p>

Bleak, desolate…even dead; those were the words that immediately entered Kaitlyn's mind when she looked around her. If it had been Chicago, Kaitlyn would have half expected to see a lone plastic bag blowing in the wind, an urban tumbleweed of sorts. But here…it was as though the world had been abandoned. The world itself seemed to be dying. Trees hung bare of leaves, the grass below either a sickly green or already brown and crumbling.

Pit lead the way down grey cobblestone roads, Kaitlyn following close behind him. The silence was unnerving to Kaitlyn, who had lived in the bustling city her whole life. From a streetwise point of view, she knew that if the street was silent with no one around, she was probably in more danger than if she were surrounded by people. The more people there were, the more chance that any attackers would overlook her. So with the absence of people, Kaitlyn felt even more paranoid than usual. She raised her rifle to her check, loading a bullet in the barrel. She felt herself calm down ever so slightly.

"Where exactly are we going?" Kaitlyn finally asked.

Pit gave a frown as he turned back to her, his eyes sad and quiet. "To Lady Palutena's garden."

Kaitlyn pinched her lips. "Are you scared to go in there?"

Pit swallowed and turned back. "No…I'm more afraid of what I'm going to see."

The two continued through the pathways. Kaitlyn couldn't drink in enough of her surroundings. The barrenness of the streets was so different from the crowded parks and roads of Chicago. She was sure that before the Medusa woman took over the Skyworld, that the world was probably lively and filled with angels. But now, the only sign that there were beings living in Angel Land were the large marble houses set in neat rows down each of the streets.

With a smooth turn, Pit turned to a smaller path, leaving the large roads. Kaitlyn followed, looking back to the sad, empty stone-way before gazing down the path.

Her breath caught in her throat. The path was made of the same grey stones as the road, spanning around five feet wide, ending with short stone walls on either sides. The retaining walls held off a large amount of dirt, like a large planter. It was simple, yet elegant, but this was not the cause of her shock. No, it was the thousands of dead, rotting plants that were splayed so despairingly over the dirt.

Kaitlyn stared as she walked by. Sickly, dead petals were soggy against the cold ground. Where there might have once been color, even vibrant color, was now all the same shade of brown and pale green. And with the dark sky above, dark grey stone, and dead plants, Kaitlyn almost felt sick with depression.

"What…" Kaitlyn paused, swallowing hard, "what is this place?"

Pit this time did not turn back. He continued walking steadily onwards, speaking without looking to Kaitlyn. "This is the path to the garden."

Kaitlyn glanced to either side. "But…what happened here?"

"Lady Palutena's light and life force kept them alive and healthy. But now that Medusa's taken over, they can't stay alive." Pit stopped in his tracks, hunching his trembling shoulders and keeping his clenched fists by his sides. His head hung low, figure rigid. "When I get my hands on that…that _freak_, I'll flay her skin." Pit's voice was low and shook with rage. "Come on, we have to get to the circle."

Kaitlyn looked on sadly as they walked through the path of dead plants. Kaitlyn couldn't help by look from side to side, gazing back and forth, though she knew the sight would make her miserable.

But what was coming would make her even unhappier.

* * *

><p>Kuro gave a grunt as he threw his blades across his chest, the silver deflecting the blast of dark energy. His breathing was hard, his knees nearly collapsing out from under him. He wiped a stream of sweat from his forehead before it could reach his eyes.<p>

"Already tired, dear?" Medusa crooned, eyes gleaming. Her hair hissed almost teasingly, causing Kuro to scowl. If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was being laughed at. He tensed, awaiting another hit.

Instead, Medusa lowered her large staff and began to pace around the temple. But years of training in the Underworld, Overworld, and Skyworld had taught him to never let off his guard, especially if the enemy let down theirs. So he kept his blades at chest level, crossed in front of him in a defensive position. He stepped in a circle as Medusa did, making sure his back was never to her.

"How…?" He panted, "did you know I was coming?"

Medusa gave an unearthly laugh, her snake hair hissing along with her. "You really think I'm that stupid Prince Kuro, to not know the sun is in the sky? I knew from the moment you left the Skyworld and disappeared that you betrayed me." She tilted her head slightly. "What I don't understand is why you, instead of Pit, came to fight me. I would think you would leave the privilege to him."

Kuro snarled. "Sorry, but I'm not exactly courteous when it comes to battle. I have a score to settle with you, witch." He spat out the last word, rage engulfing him as another blast of energy slammed into his crossed blades. He felt his feet slide against the smooth marble ground from the force of the blast. Kuro gritted his teeth, forcing the energy back as well as he could.

Medusa hissed at him as she let up on the blow, Kuro jerking back to position, forcing his breath to come slowly and steadily. "If anyone should be up here telling me this, it should be Pit. What have I ever done to wrong you? All I ever did was take you in, make you like a son."

"I'd rather be assassinated, buried, and rot than be your _son_," Kuro screeched, "You never cared about me! I was another pawn on your Chessboard of Domination. You made me your Prince so you could control me."

"Are you sure about that?"

Kuro felt his breath catch as Medusa gave her poisoned smile. In her thin hands, hovering just above her palm, laid a thin circlet, the band blown from dark glass. In the center of the front, gleaming as though made of blood, was inset a large ruby. Kuro stared at it. His crown, the one Medusa had given him. He thought he had gotten rid of it. He had thrown it into a fire, hoping to melt the glass down. But here it was, safe and perfect, and with Medusa.

"You wanted this," Medusa whispered, "remember? You asked for power. You _chose_ this path. And now there's no escape from it. The Shadow Angels? They were created for _you_. They were your fault."

Kuro snarled at her. "No," he spat, "that was all you. You promised me a difference in my life. You told me I would be my own person, that I would be free of Pit and his influences. And you were wrong."

"Was I?" Medusa drew closer, her slim body swaying as she walked. Kuro swallowed, forcing his eyes to stay on her face. Of all of Medusa's physical beauty, her face ruined the image and made it easy for Kuro to ignore her seductive behaviors. "Did I really do nothing for you? I made a prince, a leader of the darkness. I made you _royalty_, and yet you turned away for the nobler path, for a path of _good_. Do you really think that a single act of kindness will make you good? You have too much red on you now. No one will take you in."

Kuro moaned as a throbbing pain entered his mind. Horrid images flashed through his head, every one of his nightmares replaying in front of him. His mind exploded into pain, throwing everything he saw out of proportion. Kuro shut his eyes, forcing her words from his mind. _No, stop…_

"No one will ever _love_ you," Medusa said with relish, "You really think my sister cared for you? You of all angels? You're a failure, an experiment gone wrong. Everything about you was a mistake. You can't even fulfill the purpose you were created for. Everything my sister made was _perfect_," she spat, "and look at you: a freak of nature that should have never existed. Why would Palutena ever even like you? She dismissed you as she dismissed me."

Kuro collapsed to his knees, the pain from his head flowing throughout the rest of his body. His blades dropped to the ground. His hands clutched his head as he screamed a wordless cry of anguish. His body felt as though it were going to burst into flames.

"_How can you be so calm?!"_

Kuro sucked in his breath in shock, staring at the image before him. This is…this one had actually happened…

"_I have disrespected you in so many ways! I have beaten and bruised you! I kept you from saving the angel whom you care so much about! I—"_

Kuro blinked, focusing on the image in his mind. That was the moment…that was the first time he had spoken to Lady Palutena after her capture. That was when he had told her that he wanted to join the angel rebellion.

"_You have been through a lot, haven't you."_

Oh Palutena, Kuro thought, a tear streaking down his cheek, I have. I really have. _"You are forgiven, Kuro."_

Kuro swallowed, his breaths coming in gasps. Palutena had…

"_I know the fear you have, the one that Medusa invokes so well. I don't blame you for fear."_

Kuro could not stop the tears from streaming from his eyes. How could he forget so easily the words Palutena had spoken to him? Her grace and her wisdom? She was the one who had forgiven him, had brought him lovingly into her arms, despite the fact that he had hurt her so.

"_How can you forgive me so easily?"_

"_Because. You are truly upset over what happened."_

If only you knew, Palutena, Kuro thought, if only…

"_I am so…sorry for what I did."_

"_And that is why I forgive you."_

The image died from Kuro vision, his sight returning. He knelt on the marble floor, blades on either side of him. Medusa stood over him, eyes gleaming golden. Her smile was sickly, deadly.

"Return to me," she whispered, "I unlike the gods of Olympus and the Overworld have no judgment. I'll treat you for the angel you are, how my sister never saw you. I care, Kuro."

"Oh," Kuro seethed back, "you wish."

The dark angel threw himself into the air, slamming Medusa backwards, palms to her chest. Medusa screeched as she slammed backwards into the floor, hair hissing angrily. The glass crown flew from her palm, the circlet soaring threw the air. Kuro followed its arc, snatching it from the air as it passed him by.

"You know what?" he snarled, "Everything you told me from the start was a lie. You betrayed me, not the other way around. And this is what I think of your stupid plans, your stupid act," he quieted down, "and what I think of you."

Kuro threw the circlet down, the thin glass instantly shattering against the cold floor. Shards flew everywhere, sliding with tiny screeches over the marble, like dark oil on snow. Kuro felt a sense of release rise in his chest. He was…he was done.

Kuro turned his blood red eyes back on Medusa. "Your sister is one of a bravest people I know. If you were even half the goddess she is, you would have more followers. Now," he grabbed his blades from the ground and slid them neatly into a stance of balance and attack, "let's see how brave _you _are."

**(*groans and stretches*) Another chapter down and (hopefully!) two more to go. I can't believe it's almost over! It's been almost half a year since I started on this story, and I'm already more popular than I could possible have imagined at first! You guys really are the best. You've stuck with me through my long update waits and my terrible procrastination. I seriously want your addresses or emails so I can actually meet you in person and personally thank you for your time. Your comments mean so much to me, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you.**

**This chapter was interesting. I originally planned to have the whole battle sequence in this chapter, but the set up took too much time and way more words than I planned, so the battle will have to wait for the next chapter. Hopefully, it'll be epic! (I'll watch Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as soon as I can, just to get a good image!). **

**So, as always, review please! I love to hear feedback, so ask away! Tell me what you thought and what you think the end is going to be like (I already know, but I really want to know what everyone else thinks!) My sister and I planned out a lot of really Soap Opera-ish endings for fun, but we will never use them! The ending I have planned actually made me cry...**

**Anyhow, love you all! Hopefully, I'll actually write more this week and be able to finish the story by the end of the month.**

**Love you all!**

**~pixeljam**


	22. Reunion of Heroes

**Grrr...This was _supposed_ to be the second to last chapter, but it got too long and I had to split it. So this is the _third_ to last chapter...the other two hopefully are coming soon. I have 10 days to get this story done if I want to hit my deadline. We'll see if I can do it!**

**Thank you all soooooooooooooooo much for sticking with me! You all are beautiful, amazing people and are so dedicated. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!**

**And Dragonguy, thanks for all your support, patience, and editing skills. You really made this possible. You made this story better than anything I could ever do on my own. (*bows*) If I ever get to meet you face to face, I don't know how I'm going to thank you...maybe buy you something very big...**

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Kaitlyn nearly stopped dead in her tracks.<p>

The garden had probably once been beautiful, breathtaking even. But now her breath was being taken away for a completely different reason.

The garden looked to be a series of pathways, all connecting to smaller circular designs, fountains and shrubs filling the centers of the roundabouts. Of these circles, more paths led to the direct middle of the garden. And in the center was neither a fountain nor a shrub. There was a skeleton.

At one point, Kaitlyn would have probably described the tree as massive, elegant, and even powerful. But now, there was only a huge sign of death. The trunk of the tree was probably over eighty feet in circumference, and in height, it was hard to tell: the branches seemed to brush the sky itself. Branches stuck out in an immense area, where leaves probably had once grown. At this point, there was no rush of sound as the icy, dry breeze rushed through the brown garden, no cool shade from an intense sun that at one point had shown through the overcast skies. All Kaitlyn could hear was the hair-raising sound of dry twigs rubbing against one another, free of any green cushioning.

Pit stepped up to the huge trunk of the tree, leaning his head back to gaze at the massive branches high above his head. He slid his hands into his pockets, his stance similar to that of a high school student in an art museum, looking up to the inner corners and reaches of a large painting. Kaitlyn stepped up next to him, posing in a similar stance as she followed his gaze.

"I used to play on this tree," Pit said slowly, "when I was little. All the angels used to play here. It was where we first learned to fly."

Kaitlyn gazed at the thick branches. "What kind of tree?"

"Oak." Pit gave a sad smile. "Palutena taught me about all sorts of plants. She's got a lot of them in this garden…or, she used to. This is the biggest tree in the Skyworld. I was actually surprised when I saw the Redwoods in California, because they're so tall, but they have nothing on this one."

Kaitlyn shook her head. "I've never been outside of Chicago before. What are they like?"

"They're tall, extremely tall and really thick around, but their canopies aren't so wide." Pit spread out his wings, flapping hard as he leaped into the air. Kaitlyn watched as he floated around, gently touching the bark and branches in certain areas, his face somber. Kaitlyn directed her gaze to the intertwining trunk. It was as though it had been split into three parts at the base, but as they rose, they twisted together like thick strands of wavy hair. The bark was thick and filled with knots; if Kaitlyn had tried, she would probably have been able to climb up the trunk easily, despite the fact that the first branch was over forty feet above her head.

When Pit finally floated back down, Kaitlyn immediately noticed the difference. "What happened to your backpack?"

Pit motioned above him to the branches. "There's a large knothole in the truck up there. I used to spend hours up there hiding from some of the bigger angels. When we're done, I'll come back for it. I don't know what's in it, but Jenny wanted me to have it, so I'd like it to be safe."

Kaitlyn had known Pit for over three months now, and during that time, she had seen Pit change. When she had first met him, his personality had been anywhere from happy-go-lucky to cocky, but now, as she watched him turn to her, eyes shining sadly, there was something more. Kaitlyn could still sense the happy teenager there, but at this point it had been shrouded by a deep gaze of understanding. Cheerful Pit was still there, but he knew his place and where and when he needed to come into being. Now, Pit had put on a serious personality, one that had a grave heart to it.

Pit slowly walked around the tree, Kaitlyn following. "Well, now we have to find the entrance," Kaitlyn said slowly.

"That's simple enough."

Kaitlyn cocked her head, shifting her rifle higher. "How?"

"It's right here."

Of course, Pit was right, but then again, Kaitlyn was actually surprised she had missed it. Then again, she had been on the opposite side of the largest tree in the world, and could see now what she could not before.

Carved from the trunk of the tree and down past the stump stood a huge awning mouth. It looked to be almost forty feet high, and its width was close to that of the broadness of the entire trunk. It was by far not a clean job, more identical to that as if a huge rusty drill had been shoved into the tree and left to do its own work.

"A tree of this size," Pit murmured, "would only be in this bad of a condition if something huge had traumatized it. That's why the entrance is here."

Kaitlyn nodded slowly.

Pit slid his hands into his jacket, slowly drawing out his golden blades, which he had sheathed a few minutes earlier, just after they had reached the circle of the garden. It was an odd sight, after watching Kuro in his black toga slide between buildings with his silky air, blades held at the ready. Pit was still wearing his white t-shirt, relaxed light jeans, and his orange and red nylon jacket, along with his still pure white Nikes. Nevertheless, he stood with the perfect poise of a fighter, his arms loose and hands gripping the hilts of his blades with smooth, flowing grips. He was relaxed and calm, but the way he stood: feet shoulder width apart, almost leaning on his toes, and shoulders back with his head held high, it was obvious that he could tense and strike at any time he was provoked.

Kaitlyn watched Pit, who himself stared off into the vast, open sky, eyes closed. His hair ruffled slightly in a sharp gust of wind, his chest rising as he breathed in deeply. The corner of his open jacket flapped gently, only adding to the effect. Kaitlyn held back a smile. Despite the fact that she had avoided Pit like any other teenage boy in the beginning, she still managed to find him very attractive. Not only in his appearance, though she often had the strange urge to run her fingers through his shaggy, soft looking brown hair, but also in the way he acted. He spoke well of just about everyone he met, flashing his 100watt smile to anyone he crossed paths with. His bouncy, happy attitude was enough to cheer up even the crabbiest of people. But even in his serious moments was he wonderful. His sense of justice and fairness was second to no one she knew. He had a sense of wisdom surrounding him that was greater than his years, his sense of understanding almost childlike in its simplicity, but yet to sweet. Kaitlyn felt herself flush slightly. She had never described someone in such great detail before, but in this case, it felt almost simple.

Pit slowly opened his eyes, breathing deeply as though his moment of meditation had slowed his heart rate down in a rather considerable way. He turned to Kaitlyn, blue eyes shining though the sun was still covered with clouds. "You ready for this? We won't be able to kill until Kuro's helper shows up."

Kaitlyn raised her rifle, running her fingers along the barrel and feeling a shudder of both excitement and anxiety run though her nerves. She pulled back, allowing the bullet set in the gun to load with a neat click. "So we get to eternally wound them? Definitely. Bring on the enemies."

* * *

><p>Kuro heaved a deep breath, feeling the oxygen flow into his lungs. His blood boiled hot beneath his burning skin, certain sections hotter than the others. He glanced down at the new scorch mark on his left hand, opposite of his palm. He winced as he flexed his hand, his tight inflamed skin sending to many pain messages to his brain that he could see his vision closing up. He breathed deeply, sucking in breath after breath. <em>Come on<em>, he thought to himself, _ignore the pain. Pain is just a message to your brain. You can ignore messages. Just get over it!_

Kuro swallowed hard, tensing his muscles all over again. Every inch of him hurt. Burns, scratches…his whole body felt as though he had been dipped in olive oil and set on fire. Blood seeped from the larger of his cuts, mixing with the sweat that coated his skin and dripped with quiet plops on the cold floor.

Fortunately, his enemy had not walked away unharmed either. Medusa stood in the corner, her own breaths heavy and strained. Her milky white arms were littered with cuts, dark blood flowing from the wounds, but her powers as a goddess were already kicking it, her blood flow slowing and slices healing over. But her energy level remained the same, much to Kuro's relief.

Kuro raised his eyes as a streak of black entered into the temple, flashing dark feathers in a gush of wind. Kuro winced as the air blasted into his face, his hair, sticky with sweat, brushing back and sticking in a rather swept way. He forced his eyes open, wanting nothing more than to shut them tight and sleep the next millennia away, but judging that he was in the fight of his life with a goddess with exceptional powers, he had better as heck stay awake.

Kuro heaved a sigh of relief, expecting a Shadow Angel to take down, but instead he was rewarded with the sight on another angel, a regular one, and the one he had been hoping for. The angel's brown eyes were wide with concern, the feathers of his wings flared out gently. His chocolate skin was shining with a hint of perspiration, indicating his rush to the temple. He was unarmed, but Kuro knew that would change in seconds if he needed his blades or bow.

"Kuro, you're back!" His face was incredulous, "What about—?"

Kuro cut off the dark angel. "Nighthawk! You have to get to the dungeons! They're—."

Nighthawk didn't even wait for the end of the statement before he was off in another flash of feathers. He didn't even fly, rushing even faster on his feet. His long legs gave him long bounding strides in which he left the temple with increasing speed. Fortunately for Nighthawk, Medusa was too distracted with her own breathing that she didn't even try to stop him, but she did send him a nasty glare as he went by.

Kuro let out a long breath, closing his eyes yet again, forcing himself to relax even farther. He needed to keep up his stamina or he would be dead before the hour ended. So when Medusa finally regained her breath and ran at him with a face filled with fury, Kuro was ready.

* * *

><p>Pit whipped his blades out of one angel, moving on to the next one as the first fell to its knees in anguish. Pit stabbed both his blades in at once, twisting them until the Shadow angel's ribs cracked, then pulled them out, the golden metal dripping in unnaturally dark blood.<p>

Just because they couldn't die by a regular angel did not mean that Pit could not lay down some insane pain and suffering.

He flashed a glance to Kaitlyn, who stood closer to the opening of the caverns, using the light and distance to her advantage. She had an amazing shot, taking care to hit the Shadow angels perfectly, and not accidentally hit Pit in the process. Her small lips were pinched in a concentrated frown, golden curls flipping back with every shot.

Pit gave a slight growl as he narrowly avoided another wild slash in his direction. He and Kaitlyn had been fighting these same two Shadow angels for almost ten minutes, and not that it wasn't good practice, but Pit was already worried that he and Kaitlyn would not make it to the next cavern. Kaitlyn, if this kept up, would run out of bullets and Pit out of steam. Something needed to happen, and whatever it was needed to happen soon.

Kaitlyn suddenly gave a shriek from behind him. "Pit, another one!"

Pit almost moaned. Two against one was hard. Three against one was even more difficult. But Pit had some time before the other two Shadow angels were fit to fight, so he might as well use that to his advantage and take down the new one.

Pit whipped around, blades at chest level. They clashed into another set of knives. The screech of metal on metal at one point might have caused the hair on the back of Pit's head to rise, but he had become so used to it, that now he barely winced.

Pit nearly dropped his blades in shock as he came face to face with an angel he knew so well. Warm brown eyes met his own blue, twinkling in the dim light, which also caused his ebony skin to appear even darker. His dark wings were fluffed out to close to their full extent, but not in an aggressive way.

A quirky smile played upon the person's lips, one of his dark eyes winking playfully. "Miss me, Pit?"

Pit felt his throat go dry. He swallowed. "Nighthawk?"

The angel whipped his blades away, giving a large leap and bounding over Pit's head. In one fluid motion, he stabbed the still recovering Shadow angels, one after the other. The angels gave piercing screams, erupting into towers of shadows before disappearing.

Pit felt a rush of nostalgia flow through his body as his old friend turned back to him. Dark eyes gleaming, black hair short, and feathers fluffing out neatly…it was as if Pit hadn't ever left. Nighthawk looked so normal, so simple. It was like a breath of fresh air. After all of the stresses, all of the time spent away from Angel Land and from his friend, seeing his friend was a sight for sore eyes.

Pit calmed himself as best as possible. He swung the hilts of his blades in his wrists, keeping back his smile as well as he could, though with Pit being Pit, it was near to impossible. "So…you're the one Kuro was talking about? I didn't know you could kill Shadow angels."

Nighthawk smirked slightly, letting his blades down. "Yeah. Medusa had a few trust issues when she first took over. She gave me some powers she probably regrets now." He blinked his brown eyes at Pit, a genuine smile crossing his lips. "Pit…"

Pit couldn't hold back any more. He rushed forwards, grabbing Nighthawk into a tight hug, one that his whole self had been longing for. The warmth of close friendship that had been left open when Pit had left Angel Land had been temporarily filled by Mark's funny antics and smooth jokes. But a rush of memories overcame Pit as he gripped his best friend into a tight embrace. There was something about Nighthawk—the way he smelled, the way that warmth almost radiated off of his dark skin, and even his height made him all the more comforting.

"I missed you, buddy," Nighthawk said slowly, his strong arms wrapping around Pit's shoulders.

Pit held back tears. "I missed you, too."

Nighthawk drew back, gazing at Pit with grinning eyes. "You've grown." He ruffled Pit's hair playfully, which Pit laid down with one of his hands.

Pit shrugged happily. "It's been a while, hasn't it."

Nighthawk smiled. "Yeah. A lot has changed." Pit watched as Nighthawk's eyes glanced ever so slightly away from Pit's, just over his head behind him. Pit automatically knew what he was looking at, and Pit mentally slapped himself for being so stupid. Already he had forgotten his partner.

Pit whirled around. "Kaitlyn," he motioned for the blonde girl, holding his hand out. Kaitlyn shifted her weapon so it hooked neatly between her arm and elbow. She strode over and fit her hand neatly into Pit's, causing Pit to force himself not to blush at her easy movements. But Kaitlyn's grin was only halfway, an air of mistrust surrounding the way she held herself. Pit nearly sighed. With the way Kaitlyn acted around men, warming up to Nighthawk would take a while. But that didn't mean that he couldn't introduce the two. "Nighthawk, Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn, Nighthawk."

Kaitlyn gave a sharp nod to Nighthawk, at least acknowledging his existence. Nighthawk was at least slightly warmer, his eyes gleaming as he looked Kaitlyn up and down. "A human?"

Kaitlyn gave a slight snarl, her lips twitching upwards. "Yeah. Is there a problem with that?"

Nighthawk shook his head. "Are you kidding? If you can fight, I have no problem with you. Just so long as you don't distract Pit on the battlefield." His tone was teasing, and Pit knew was directed more towards Pit than Kaitlyn. Pit felt his cheeks flush ever so slightly.

"I won't be distracted," Pit snapped rather crabbily, "now are we going to get to Palutena or stay up here chatting all day?"

Nighthawk nodded, his expression becoming serious. "We need a plan first."

Pit heaved a sigh, running his hands through his hair and smiling in an exasperated manner. "You and Kuro…what is it with you two and plans?"

* * *

><p>Kaitlyn couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. Of course, to her, danger plus excitement equaled fun.<p>

Every time Pit and Nighthawk entered a new cavern, she would stay in the doorway and shoot down the biggest, most powerful looking Shadow angels, who then Pit and Nighthawk would pick off while they tried to recover. It was smooth work, the two teenage guys managing to find a system to killing the Shadows, seeing as Nighthawk was the only one of the two that could kill the Shadow angels fully. Pit and Kaitlyn were good for the stunning portions; Nighthawk did all the dirty work.

Kaitlyn wasn't sure what to make of the dark skinned angel. From Pit's reaction to his sudden appearance, Kaitlyn could assume that the two were old friends. But despite the fact that Kaitlyn had always been mistrustful of men after her bad experiences with her father, the fact that Nighthawk could kill Shadow angels was unnerving. She wasn't sure what to make of him. He seemed nice enough, but with his dark demeanor, he could very well be a Shadow angel himself, especially since he seemed to have the same powers that the Shadow angels did. But there seemed nothing to do but to trust him, seeing as neither Pit nor Kaitlyn knew the dungeons at all. Nighthawk was their one guide.

The three battled their way down the caverns, deeper and deeper into the ground. The only light source now came from torches scattered strategically along certain walls and hallways. Kaitlyn wondered vaguely if they needed to be changed and lit every once in a while, or if they burned eternally, but the question seemed pointless as she continued to fire shot after shot to take down dark angels. With her preoccupation, she really had no time to see if her question would ever be answered.

Kaitlyn held back as always as they entered a new chamber, holding up her rifle and flicking her eyes around the room. She blinked in confusion, lowering her weapon slightly. There was nothing to focus on. There were no angels in this cavern.

Pit stopped in his tracks, glancing around in uncertainty. His fingers twitched around the hilts of his blades, as though itching in paranoia. But Nighthawk looked completely calm, striding across the room with confidence.

He turned back to the others. "This cavern is always empty. Apparently Medusa doesn't want the Shadow angels getting too close to Lady Palutena."

Pit immediately perked up, his blades lowering smoothly to his sides. His voice was breathy and quick. "Palutena's close by?"

Nighthawk nodded. "In the next chamber. Ready to free her?"

Pit was nearly bouncing on his toes. "Let's move!" He bolted after Nighthawk, Kaitlyn hurrying to keep up behind the two long-legged angels.

When she entered the chamber, she then knew why Pit was so excited.

The room was stone, like all the other chambers, carved from the stone of the earth. Torches hung more brightly in this cavern than all the others, causing there to be more shadows, but also allowing more visual abilities to the watcher. But unlike the other caverns, which had either been empty, filled with barrels and chests, or simply leading to other tunnels, this one had two cages, metal bars spanning from ceiling to floor. The bars glowed with energy, a though they were sustaining themselves with the light from the torches. But what was in them were more interesting. The right cage held an angel, a female by the look of her facial and body form as well as stance, also by her shoulder-length, malt blonde hair. She was dressed in a simple, rough tunic, a skinny rope tied around thin waist as a belt. Her string feet were bare, tawny wings fluffed out, feathers ruffled in a defiant way.

The woman in the other cage was by far more interesting to look at. Her incredibly long hair was the color of grass, though maybe a shade lighter. She wore a long white dress, slightly muddy and grimy, slit on the sides and strapped by a golden halter neckline. Her arms, neck, and a decorative side belt were gilded with golden jewelry, reflecting light from the torched nearby off of them. When she turned to face the intruders, Kaitlyn gazed at the woman's smooth, unblemished face. Her eyes shone green, the color of new life, of newly born saplings, and of healthy plants, and when she turned her sight upon Kaitlyn, the teenager fell into a wave of comfort.

The three teenagers stopped in the doorway, looking into the cavern. The two captives turned to them, eyes widening in amazement. Pit jerked his head from side to side, as though unable to decide on which one was more of his attention.

The two caged females stood, pressing themselves to the edge of their bars. "Pit!" The malt blonde called out, grey eyes shining.

Pit directed his attention on her, a large smile breaking onto his lips. "Kessie! You're alive!"

The girl snorted. "Why wouldn't I be, you dolt? A few Shadow angels and a demonic woman with snake hair aren't enough to take down this angel! Now what the heck are you wearing?"

Kaitlyn wasn't sure why this girl was already picking on Pit, especially on his clothes. Weren't they supposed to be preparing for a war? But Pit looked perfectly at ease, giving a chill laugh and tugging at his shirt.

"I know, right?" He said, "But then again, I'm not exactly one to draw attention. You know, with the wings and all."

The two imprisoned females laughed, their voices rising with joy. Kaitlyn allowed herself a twitch of a smile. Leave it to Pit to take a completely dreary situation and crack a joke. It was as if a new fire had been set to the torches, the room lighting even more with a carefree air.

"I'll let out Kestrel," Nighthawk said, "Pit, you get Lady Palutena out. Kaitlyn, stand guard."

_Against what?_ Kaitlyn wanted to know. The Shadow angels had all been taken out, the caverns empty. But she didn't argue, instead contenting to watch Pit release the green haired woman from her cell. Or…at least try.

"How the heck do you get these things open?" Pit grunted, slamming his blades into the bars. His attacks bounced uselessly against the hard metal.

"Maybe attacking the lock itself would be a better option, Pit," the woman suggested lightly. Her eyes sparkled playfully, her voice warm and teasing.

Pit flushed slightly. "Yeah…that might help…"

He drew his blades up together, slamming them into the padlock. The metal didn't snap, or pull apart as Kaitlyn had expected. Instead, it blazed into a flare of light, rays of what looked like a miniature sun erupting from the depths of the metal. Kaitlyn covered her eyes, biting her lip and waiting for the sound of the explosion, but was surprised when absolutely nothing happened.

She opened her eyes, gazing at the padlock. The metal looked like a bar of wax held up to a candle. It had melted, large drips of soft metal dripping to the ground. Pit grabbed the padlock, wrenching it from the cage. As soon as the lock hit the ground, the bars themselves disintegrated, leaving a large space that ultimately caused the cavern to look a whole lot larger.

Pit threw himself into the woman's arms, his once happy face scrunched up and wet with tears. It was such a sudden transformation that Kaitlyn was almost shocked; going from extremely excited and happy to a total wreck emotionally was a surprising change. Pit the way Pit wrapped his arms around the tall woman also made Kaitlyn feel a jab of jealousy in her heart. She wasn't exactly sure who this woman was or her role in Pit's life.

"So," the woman murmured, "Kuro managed to find you…" Her long arms wrapped around Pit, her chin on his head, a small smile on her lips.

"Palutena," Pit let out a sob, "I'm so sorry…I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I-I…I missed you so much…"

Palutena gently kissed the top of Pit's head. "Oh, dear, I missed you too. When we're finished with this battle, you have to tell me everything."

Pit released the Goddess, his eyes shining as his smile slowly returned. "I have so much to tell you."

Palutena's face burst into a radiant smile. "And I can't wait to hear!"

Pit laughed. He turned to Kaitlyn, his blue eyes meeting her green. "Hey, Kaitlyn, I want you to meet my friend."

Kaitlyn strode stiffly over to Pit, mistrust filling her body, as it always managed to do when she met new people. But Pit gave her such a kind grin, it was hard to remain at such unease. Pit took her hand, his warm fingers enwrapping hers. "Palutena, this is Kaitlyn, a friend of mine from Earth. Kaitlyn, this is Lady Palutena, Goddess of Light and of the Skyworld."

The green-haired woman dipped her had in greeting, Kaitlyn doing the same. Kaitlyn was surprised at the simple action, almost feeling it was mediocre in the presence of a goddess. She resisted the urge to curtsy.

"Kaitlyn," the goddess said with a genuine smile, "A pleasure to meet a friend of Pit's."

"Same," Kaitlyn said quietly.

Palutena's smile was warm, matching her eyes. "When this is all over, I want to hear all about you, understood?"

Kaitlyn nodded, lowering her gaze. She felt almost ashamed that someone so powerful was paying her so great of attention. It was an odd feeling, seeing as for her whole life she seemed to have been shunned by people with authority over her simply because of her family life.

"Hey!"

The voice shouted from behind them. Nighthawk had managed to get Kestrel from her cage as well, and the two now stood a few yards away from Pit, Kaitlyn, and Palutena. With her hands on her hips, Kestrel held an air of no-nonsense. Her now stormy blue eyes glittered dangerously. "Are we going to fight Medusa or what?"

Pit rolled his eyes. "Well, it's nice to see you two, Kes."

Kestrel smirked slightly. "Always a pleasure, Pit. Now get your rear in gear and prepare for war!"

* * *

><p><strong>And our Heroes have united! And so comes the beginning of the battle...<strong>

**As always, tell me what you thought of this! I'm trying not to procrastinate so much, though every inch of my brain is telling me to draw it out as long as possible. (It doesn't want me to end the story either!). I already sad about the coming end to the story...I mean, I'm so glad that I'm actually finishing it! It's just...it's almost over...my baby is growing up...I think I might sob...  
><strong>

**Anyhow, I hope you liked this chapter. One down, two to go!**

**~pixeljam**


	23. The Battle for Angel Land

**I am so close to being done, it isn't even funny. I actually have the story finished on my computer, but my Beta's power went out (curse you, Hurricane Sandy!) and he's been out for a while. But here it is, the second to last chapter, as promised. I know it's kind of long, but this is really what you've been waiting for (at least I hope so! If it isn't the next chapter will have to do). You guys are amazing. Dragonguy54321, thank you for being patient with me! I'm extremely busy with NaNoWriMo right now, so I'm sorry if this didn't come up sooner! Thankfully, I have just enough time to write this and to see a movie this afternoon, because I've been needing a break! **

**So anyhow, enjoy!**

Pit was in ecstasy. He had found his best friend, battled his way down a set of dungeons without any serious injuries, and had helped to release his childhood friend and the goddess. And together they hurried up through the caverns and tunnels, well, all except for Nighthawk, who they had sent ahead to release the other angels from the other caverns then take another opening and prepare the other angels for the invasion.

Pit's level of happiness dropped slightly as he reached that last thought. The invasion…Pit swallowed. He had known for a long time that this battle was coming, but now that it was actually here, Pit was more anxious than ever. With battle came injuries, and with injuries came death.

Pit looked around him. Kestrel…his friend, so much like his big sister. Pit smiled, realizing just how alike Kestrel and Ryan were, despite the fact that Kestrel was probably a little more smart-mouthed. But still, she was the older sibling. She was the protector. But now, as Pit looked at her, he realized just how vulnerable she was. She had been taken by Medusa and shut into a cage where she couldn't cause any more problems. But in the battle, it would be her skills against another angel's. There were no bars to help her this time. She was out in the open.

And then there was Kaitlyn. The blonde teenage human had never seen war before, never been in a serious fight. Here, all she had to protect herself was a rifle, a long range weapon that might or might not save her neck from an angel's arrows and knives. Pit wasn't sure whether to let her battle out her anger, or tell her to remain in the dungeon so she wouldn't be hurt. But he already knew the answer to that question. Kaitlyn wasn't one to back down. If Pit was fighting, she would be too.

Pit knew the goddess wouldn't go down easily. In fact, the most injured she would probably get in the battle would consist of a few deep scratches that would heal quickly. Palutena had amazing healing abilities as long as she was surrounded by some form of light. Pit really had no need to be worried about her. But now Palutena seemed all the more precious to him. He had lost her for so long, and now she was back. He didn't want to lose her again.

Pit blinked as the quartet reached the last cavern. Light, though barely bright enough to be called light, lit the dark room. The doorway to the Skyworld was easily visible, the huge awning mouth of wood and stone. Observable through the hole were only the dark grey of stone and the slightly lighter grey of overcast clouds.

"Through here," Pit said, motioning to the cavern's end, "Then we defeat Medusa."

"After taking down the Shadow Angels first," Kestrel pointed out.

"How many Shadow Angels are there?" Pit asked.

"As many as there are light angels. I seem to recall that the first Shadow Angel to die was mine. You killed her."

Pit blinked in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Kestrel shrugged. "Energy boost as soon as you killed her. I absorbed the energy that she released." Kestrel winced. "Dark energy hurts."

Palutena gazed at the girl with sad eyes. "Medusa's energy is extremely powerful and painful."

"So…" Pit mused, "If we kill a Shadow Angel, the light angel gets more powerful. But if a light angel is killed…"

"The Shadows become more powerful," Palutena nodded.

Pit took a deep breath after swallowing hard. "Well…I guess we'll just have to save as many light angels as possible…or we might be outmatched."

Pit continued in the lead, walking quickly out of the caverns. He grinned up at sky, though it could hardly be called light. The covered sun reflected off of the clouds, causing the air to be warm, but the lack of sun to be very obnoxious. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the slight light. It was a wonderful feeling after being in the darkness of underground, even if it had been for only a short time.

Palutena gazed around her, green eyes sad. "It's worse than I thought." Her words were almost a whisper as she twisted around, gazing up at the large tree they stood under, "The Skyworld is dying." She turned her gaze upon the young angel before her. "Pit, fly up to the top of the tree and tell me how many Shadow angels you see."

Pit fluffed his feathers in acknowledgement. With a huge leap, he took off.

Even in the bone-dry, death filled air, Pit was still excited to be flying in Angel Land without a five minute time limit. It felt so open compared to the big city of Chicago. Where there were buildings in Chicago, there were trees in Angel Land. Or else, there had been.

Pit flapped his white wings hard, shooting higher and higher from the ground. He gazed around in awe, staring at the wide expanses of ground on the largest island before it dropped off into endless sky. It was a whole new view. Pit had never been so high up in his life.

Suddenly Pit's gaze shifted, staring across one of the plains. Something caught his eye, something very unnatural. In a world that had been made brown and grey over the past few months, there was a splotch of black, a moving blot of darkness.

Pit dropped onto a branch directly beneath him, crouching there like a panther hiding in shadows.

_What do you see?_

Pit flinched. He had spent so much time away from Angel Land and away from Palutena's power, that it felt almost alien for the goddess to connect her thoughts between them. He had almost forgotten about Palutena's telepathic powers.

"Shadow angels," Pit replied out loud, never having really gotten the hang of replying to Palutena directly through thoughts, "and a lot of them."

_How many is a lot?_

"Well…how many leaves are on an average tree?"

_Oh..._

A smooth tenor voice rolled over the wind. "Did you actually want an answer to that question?"

Pit gazed up and smiled. "Nighthawk!"

The dark skinned angel soared up next to him, dark eyes shining. "Yeah, and welcome to your army, _General_ Pit."

Pit turned around, a wide smile brimming his face. On every house, every small temple, lining the streets and pastures and parks, stood angels, hundred and hundreds of angels, of all colors, shapes and sizes. Weapons of every kind and make were clenched in their hands or strapped to their backs. And where the Shadow angels formed a dark splotch against the land, these angels were just about the largest beacon of light ever imagined.

Pit let his gaze shift below him as a flash of light drew his attention. Down far below, Palutena threw her arms above her head, chanting slowly under her breath. Golden light shone directly above her. The light formed, took shape, and rested in her hands gently. Even from his high position, Pit could see her radiant smile. In her hands rested her long staff, made of thick, shining gold. Above it laid her thick, circular shield, blue and gold. Slowly, she slid her shield over her gold and feathered armband, the leather strap connecting neatly to her arm. She then took her staff, her long, elegant fingers rubbing against the pole as though drawing warmth from it.

"My angels!" Her voice rose above the wind, taking to the skies in a way Pit had not known was possible, "Today we fight to end the Darkness! We must return Light to the world that created such a thing. We must bring back the shining Light of day!"

Palutena threw her staff above her, a column of light shooting from the large, spherical blue gem atop the pole surrounded by gold. Pit stepped back as the streak of Light rushed past him, shooting high past the tree into the skies. It broke through the clouds, disappearing into the sky.

Pit waited.

Seconds later, the sky burst open in an eruption of Light. Pit shielded his eyes, wincing as rays of piercing heat streaked down and around. He blinked a few times before gazing high above him. His breath stuck in his throat.

The sun. Palutena had brought back the sun.

Cheers exploded from the ground, the light angels jumping into the air, dancing in the returning sunlight. Pit nearly did the same. The warmth felt so good. He wanted nothing more than to find a patch of green grass and lie down in it, purring like a kitten.

Pit swallowed, looking back to the blob of Shadow Angels, which now moved faster towards the city. Pit felt himself grow harder. Resting would have to wait.

Now…now was the time for war.

* * *

><p>Kuro groaned as his head slammed into the steps leading up to the throne. He slid up to a sitting position, rubbing his head and wincing. That was probably the third lump on his skull this afternoon.<p>

"You're looking a little down, Kuro."

Kuro felt the cold metal of Medusa's staff slide against his throat. He leaned back, gritting his teeth into a smile. "Pain has a nasty habit of ruining good moods."

"When have you ever been in a good mood?" Medusa said, revealing her sharp teeth in a smile.

Kuro gave a choking laugh. "Well, on Earth it wasn't too hard."

"You laugh," Medusa hissed with poisoned pleasantry, "but even now my Shadow Angels are taking out your small party."

The temple exploded in sound, the screams and shouts of joy of hundreds of beings, cries of happiness. Kuro immediately felt his spirits lift, a full laugh rising in his chest.

He turned back to Medusa, feeling a pleasant, rather sassy smile slide over his lips. "Shadow Angels, huh?"

Medusa's smile turned to a hissing snarl. She whipped around, directing her attention away from Kuro and to the outside. Golden light shone though the columns of the entrance to the temple, throwing the room into brilliance. Medusa's pale, milky skin shone with the brightest of light. From what Kuro could see, Medusa's eyes were dilated into even thinner slits, their yellow pupils shimmering perfect gold.

"The sun…" Medusa's voice came as a hiss between gritted teeth.

Kuro pulled himself to his feet, struggling to keep his breath steady and coughing under control. He clutched his chest, wincing as he breathed in deeply. _Stupid broken rib_, he snapped to himself. Despite his unusually fast healing powers, Kuro had never attained the darkness-healing powers that the Shadow Angels had. Nevertheless, Kuro still had the energy to crack a smile. "Looks like my "little party" managed to free the goddess."

Medusa whirled around and slammed her staff into Kuro's chest. The air flew from Kuro's lungs just as he flew across the room, slamming into the throne. He moaned in anguish. Everything hurt. Arms covered in scratches, chest newly throbbing and exploding in pain, and a brand new lump on his skull. Kuro wasn't sure when he had ever been in so much pain. He gritted his teeth, pulling his face into a smile. "Does the light scare you, Medusa?"

The snakes atop the goddess' head spat venom. Kuro winced again, sliding himself into a slightly more comfortable position. Medusa held her staff to his chest. Every breath Kuro took in took more effort than he would have liked. Somehow Medusa had managed to place her staff point directly on his snapped rib. It took all of Kuro's willpower not to screech between his gritted teeth.

"First," Medusa hissed, "I will kill you. Then I'll kill your goddess, and then all the angels fighting my army. Your whole resistance will fall, and Angel Land will be populated with my Shadows."

"Oh, yeah?" A voice suddenly came from the entrance to the temple, "Well, you'll have to get through me first!"

* * *

><p>Kaitlyn was like any other school girl: she read books about wars and battles, memorized dates, aced tests, and forgot about what she had read around four weeks later.<p>

After this, Kaitlyn promised herself she would never forget a history date again, not after she had lived it.

From her position on the roof of one of the small houses, Kaitlyn had a perfect view of basically everything she did not want to see. Bloodshed, death, and the screams and shouts of terror and rage all flew through her senses. But nothing stopped her from loading bullet after bullet into her rifle, taking aim, and taking down Shadow Angels.

"Quite a fight, isn't it?" Kestrel said next to Kaitlyn, taking aim with her bow and shooting light arrows at the Shadow Angels. The angels best at archery had taken to the roofs of the houses closest to the field of battle and fired from their, taking better aim from high above the fighting. The angels with combat skills used their blades and worked in close combat to the Shadow Angels. Kaitlyn, having only her rifle, followed Kestrel to the roofs, laid down on the sun-warmed marble and shot from their, taking better aim while lying down than standing up, though she was a good shot both ways.

Kaitlyn gritted her teeth, taking down another Shadow Angel. Having Palutena out was certainly nice: with her released, any of the light angels could kill a Shadow one, Kaitlyn included. The goddess rose above the others, striking with shafts of pure light energy, the power disintegrating the Shadow Angels before the darkness could consume them.

"Yeah," Kaitlyn answered, "Are all battles like this?"

Kestrel shrugged. "I don't know. I've only really been in one before. I mean, we trained for stuff like this, but it's not like this happens every day. The last big battle was around twenty or so years ago. Pit led that one."

Kaitlyn nearly dropped her weapon in shock. "Pit's how old?!"

Kestrel shot another arrow. "Hmm…I don't really remember anymore…around forty I think…maybe fifty."

Kaitlyn blinked wildly. "What?!"

Kestrel gave a shifting smile. "In angel years, yeah. In human years, he's around fifteen. Make you feel better?"

Kaitlyn breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah…it'd be a little weird to hang around with someone who's over twice my age, just saying."

The malt blond stopped shooting for a second, smiling down at the ringlet-haired blonde. "He deserves you, Katie. He really does. I can't really say much for only knowing you for around an hour, but any gal who can shoot dark angels without having been in battle before is number one on my list!"

Kaitlyn blinked up at the older girl. "Wait…so you're not dating him?"

Kestrel snorted, shooting another Shadow Angel, hitting him in the chest with such a blast that he flew backwards and took out a few more angels for her. "Are you kidding? He's way too obnoxious for me. He's more like my little brother. We have fun annoying the heck out of each other on our spare time. I told him once he grew his wings out, he could try out for the airball team. Hey, Meadowlark, watch your back!"

A thin angel girl with long, silvery hair immediately swiveled to the left, whipping long blades behind her and stabbing them directly into the Shadow Angel's stomach. She gave a slight wave back to Kestrel before rejoining the battle.

"She's a member of my team," Kestrel explained to Kaitlyn, "and my main attacker. She's awesome."

Kaitlyn felt it odd that two girls, in the middle of a battle should be taking about guys, dating, and unusual sports, but then again, she had never been in a battle before. Was this usually the topic of conversation?

"Oriole! There's someone…Oriole!" Kestrel's warning call became a scream of alarm. Kaitlyn followed her gaze to a shorter angel teenage boy, the feathers on his wings a most unusual combination of black, orange, and white. His fluffy orange hair flashed golden in the sunlight as he fell to his knees, a set of blades in his back.

"NO!" Kestrel's scream rose above the shouts and screeches of war. She drew back her string, pausing and waiting for the correct angel to appear. A Shadow Angel rushed to the orange-haired angel's back and pulled out the knives now dripping in red blood. Kestrel, with murder in her eyes and tears streaming down her face, released her arrow, which by that time had attained a large amount of power. Her aim was true: the arrow sliced through the air, slamming into the dark angel's forehead, slamming him to the ground.

Kaitlyn gazed up at the malt blond whose breathing was heaved. Kestrel's hazel eyes sparkled in the sunlight. "Trying to kill off my team, huh?" She said through gritted teeth, "Bring it on."

* * *

><p>Kuro had never been so happy to hear the cheerful, cocky voice of his double. He blinked open his eyes painfully, gazing past Medusa to the entrance. Looking perfectly rested with bow in hand and hair tussled, Pit looked though he had just rolled out of bed and woken up to find a war at his doorstep. His blue eyes gleamed almost playfully as he swirled his bow around his hand.<p>

"A goddess against a dark angel?" Pit questioned, walking closer, "that seems totally fair, right? I mean, I'm actually surprised that you haven't killed him yet! Are you really that weak, Medusa?"

Medusa's face twisted into a sour smile. "Pit, I've been playing with him like a cat does a mouse. Are you ready to be the rat of our game?"

Pit snorted. "Depends. How powerful does this rat get to be? 'Cause, I just got a new toy I want to try out." He held up his bow, pulling back the string. Immediately a powerful light arrow appeared, gaining immense power in a matter of seconds. "Like it? It goes by a lot of names: Arrow of Light, Bow of Light…one of the Three Sacred Treasures."

Medusa bared her teeth back in a snarl, lips curling. "You think that dinky little thing is going to defeat me?"

Pit shrugged. "Hey, I can sure as heck try, right?" He released the arrow.

The streak of light streaked across the temple. Medusa drew her staff away from Kuro, much to the dark angel's relief, and held it up against her, blocking the attack. But the blast was still powerful enough to cause Medusa to stagger back a few steps.

"They're a lot more powerful than my old ones, and Palutena managed to give this one to me before the battle started," Pit spoke as though he were a museum guide explaining why a dinosaur skeleton had been chosen for a certain exhibit, "I decided to forgo the Mirror Shield, seeing as it wouldn't really help me defeat you in these circumstances, and also the Wings of Pegasus, seeing as I can already fly perfectly fine."

Medusa threw back her head and laughed, causing the hair on the back of Kuro's neck to stand straight up. "Oh, little Pit, you can use all the power you can get. You'll never defeat me with a few fancy arrows."

Pit shook his head. "Yeah, but we will."

_Crap, Pit! _Kuro thought, _Don't bring me into this!_

"'We'?" Medusa motioned to Kuro, "Pit, count yourself lucky that you and Kuro have only a partial connection, or you would be in just as bad of shape as he is now."

"Oh, is that what that pain in my chest was?" Pit said innocently as always, "I thought it was just my stomach rumbling. I haven't eaten in hours. What do you say we all pause the battle and take a Nutella break?"

Medusa's poisoned smiled widened on her face. "I will have fun killing you, my dear."

"And I'll have fun killing you back! Hey, Kuro, you ready for this?"

Kuro by this time had managed to lift himself to his feet. He breathed in, trying as best he could to ignore the pain that itched up every inch of his skin. "You betcha." And with that, he threw himself onto Medusa. It was a large jump. In fact, it was so large, that he managed to fling himself onto Medusa's back. He forced his legs under her neck, closing in tightly as he grabbed the snakes of her hair into two bundles, one for each hand, and yanked.

Medusa screamed and threw her arms to her neck, jerking back and forth as she struggled to throw Kuro from her body. The jerky movements caused Kuro's body to scream in throbbing anger. But Kuro gritted his teeth, screeching, "Pit, kill her already!"

Pit jumped to his feet, running towards Medusa. Kuro knew that he was trying to get a perfect shot. But the closer he drew, the less Medusa jerked, not more. Kuro could feel Medusa's aura of power flicker and flare as Pit drew all the closer. But Kuro had barely enough time to scream out a warning before it was too late.

Medusa threw out her hands, a large ball of pulsing, dark purple energy flew from Medusa's fingers and slammed directly into Pit's chest, engulfing him in dark lightning bolts. The bow flew from Pit's hands and clattered against the marble floor.

Now, Kuro had always had a connection with Pit when it came to feelings, emotions, and senses in general. But only extremely powerful or dangerous causes effected them both, such as being put into suspended animation or being extremely close to death.

Apparently, electrocution was on that list.

Because Kuro was only Pit's double, he never received the full force of the blow that was laid on Pit. But what he was feeling at the moment was close enough. With a scream of agony, Kuro released Medusa and crashed into the ground. His vision flickered before him as he twitched on the floor, electric pulses affecting his nerves. Kuro wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and either die or sleep for a thousand years. Anything could be better than this.

"No one…" Medusa's breaths came in gasps, the building up of such energy taking quite a bit of her power as well, "No…one…defeats…Medusa!"

Kuro squinted his eyes open, locking on the crumpled form of Pit on the far end of the temple's floor. He wasn't moving.

Kuro felt tears brim his eyes. Somehow, the hot, wet feeling made him feel better. Maybe it was the heat on the chill of his skin, or the feeling that at least he had some heart deep inside of him. Either way, he felt something rise ever so slightly in his chest.

_Goodbye, Pit…_

"MEDUSA!"

Kuro felt his eyes force open at the booming sound of someone's voice. And through the darkness, through the despair and cold, came the brightest light he had ever seen. It erupted through the opening of the temple, brighter even than the sun, and yet, Kuro could not close his eyes. His gaze was fixated on the brilliance. And through that light came a form, a slender, elegant form. Kuro felt the tears stream down his face. He had been longing for that face to appear for so long, and here it was. Skin healthy and shining, long green hair flowing with magnificence behind her, Kuro had never seen such gorgeous beauty.

"Sister!" came Medusa's reply, her breaths still in gasps.

Palutena stalked into the room, flawless face cold and hard in fury. She stepped delicately on rays of sunlight, toes never touching the ground. With her shield and staff, she looked a warlord, preparing for battle.

Up came her staff, pointed directly at Medusa. "You murder my angels," her voice trembled with anger, "you attack my most beloved subjects, take over my homeland, and then start a war on ground sacred to our father, Lord Zeus Almighty. And you still have a courage to stand up to me?!" Her words rung out over the sudden silence in the temple.

Medusa coughed a scornful hiss. "You are nothing compared to me, dearest sister. The darkness holds nothing to the light. You are so cowardly and weak that you send your angels to kill me and after they are taken out, _only_ after they are taken out do you dare show your face."

"Pit and Kuro came to fight you of their own accord. I gave Pit the Arrows of Light that he might be able to take out more Shadow Angels, not to come and fight you."

Medusa hissed again. "You really have no power over me, _sister_," she spat out the word as though it were poison, "Darkness has everything over the Light."

"You need Light to make Shadows," Palutena said simply, "not the other way around. Light has every control over Darkness, for without Light, there would be no such thing."

Medusa snarled. "Then let us see who is the most powerful!"

She threw up her staff, the metal slamming into Palutena's staff. Medusa screamed as the metal grew hot, forcing her to let go of her staff for fear of being burned. As she tried to draw back, Palutena raised her shield. A piercing blast of light shot out, rising from ceiling to floor, column to column in a wall of light. Medusa screamed in anger, pressing her back against the somehow solid wall of light energy. Her past attacks had taken too much energy from her. Now she was basically powerless.

"You'll never get away with this!" Medusa shrieked, her breaths heaving.

Palutena's eyes, despite her cold posture, were pools of sadness. "Unfortunately, sister, I already have."

Palutena raised her staff, resting the large blue gem at the end on Medusa's forehead. "Father, receive my plea. With the power you have given me, I banish Medusa to the Underworld for all eternity."

Medusa screamed as a column of fire erupted around her feet, engulfing her. Kuro turned his gaze, closing his eyes. He turned back to see the only thing left behind: a diadem of molten glass, embedded with a single obsidian gem.

Kuro felt his breath leave his chest, not realizing until then that he had been holding his breath. He moaned and laid his head back on the ground. His vision darkened, his mind flashing in and out of consciousness.

The last thing Kuro remembered was the face of Palutena leaning over him, green eyes shimmering, and her voice, smooth and calm, saying, "It's all right, Kuro. You'll be fine…"

**And there you have it, chapter number 2 of the end. Tell me what you thought, as always! I'll (hopefully) post up the last chapter in the next few days. One chapter left...I feel like crying...(*sob*)**

**Because of my work with NaNoWriMo, after the next chapter, posting a new story will be on a month long hiatus, but as soon as December hits, I will have tons of stuff to post! I'm really excited! I started the story two days ago and so far it's going well, so expect that! Of course, just because I'll be on a writing hiatus, does not mean I cannot PM you! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to review or PM me!**

**~As Always, **

**pixeljam**


	24. Finis Originis

**I hope you enjoy the final installment of Kid Icarus: Grounded.**

"How are you feeling?"

Pit raised his hand from the hot water he rested in. He inspected his fingers, brushing them against a nearby stone. "I can _kinda _feel things."

Palutena sighed. "Well, that is expected for a few more days. Hopefully, you'll heal by then."

Pit nodded, closing his eyes again and returning to his resting. The electrical shock Medusa had given him was powerful enough to destroy most of his nerve endings. He had been soaking in the hot springs of Angel Land every day until skin turned to wrinkles, like small prunes. But he was still healing. Even now he was only just able to feel textures.

"She's doing well."

Pit jerked his head back up, blinking in surprise. "Really?"

Palutena nodded. She sat on a nearby stump, gazing down at Pit. When Medusa had been banished and had returned to the Underworld, the Shadow Angels had been teleported to the same place. Medusa's power had been enough to keep their lifeforce in the Skyworld, but without her, there was nothing to keep them alive. Their beings had teleported directly to a place where they could survive: the Underworld. Palutena had started to repair Angel Land and the Skyworld, with help from the angels. But she had banned Pit from helping, at least until he was able to feel and move properly.

Palutena nodded. "She has amazing pain tolerance for a human, more so than any human I've known."

Pit dipped his head. "She's gone through a lot."

"I was surprised that this was what she wanted."

Pit shrugged slightly. "All she wants it to be accepted."

"Does she think wings will make her accepted? Even wings won't make her a true angel. Her bones aren't made like an angel's. The way an angel's body works is different than hers. She'll probably never be able to use magic, or fly very well."

Pit shrugged again. "You sound like you're talking to me when I was little."

Palutena's face softened. "And you _did_ manage to overcome all the odds that were set before you. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on her. It's just hard to imagine."

Pit nodded. "Yeah…the angels have been doing a great job around here." He motioned around him.

Palutena brushed her slender fingers against the green grass. It was true: the angels had outdone themselves re-cultivating Angel Land. The trees were beginning to grow new leaves, the grass around growing thick and green. The rivers flowed clean and clear. Even the birds had started to return to the air, crows, caws, and tweets of joy bursting from their beaks.

"Yes," Palutena replied, "for only a week, the angels have done an amazing job."

Pit scowled slightly. "I wish I was helping. As General, I should be leading and directing."

"And as a casualty, you should be resting until you're better." Palutena ruffled Pit's hair with a smile. "You'll be better soon."

Pit flattened his hair grumpily. "Yeah, but I don't see you telling that to Kuro."

Palutena's eyes grew softer. "He's almost in worse shape than you, Pit. I've been even stricter with him, but he's recovering quicker than you are."

Pit hadn't seen Kuro in almost a week. His injuries had been more serious than Pit's, having been both beaten up and electrocuted, so he was being taken care of specially. All in all, Pit was feeling rather lonely. Both Kuro and Kaitlyn were separated from him. Only Palutena was a regular when it came to visitors. Kestrel and Nighthawk came every once in a while. Both of them were helping lead the clean up and renovation of Angel Land. Kestrel came even less than Nighthawk, being even busier. She was in charge of burying the dead, a sad and depressing job, especially for her. Kestrel had lost many of her friends, including two of her airball team members: Oriole and Junco. She didn't speak a lot to Pit when she came and visited him, preferring to lose herself in thought. Still, Pit was glad for the company.

Pit brushed his hair back gently. "I'm still amazed that you didn't kill Medusa."

Palutena sighed deeply, her eyes sad and shoulders slumped. "Perhaps it's a sister thing, but I never really can give up on her. I just keep on wanting to give her chances. Maybe, I'm being naïve, but she _is_ my sister." Palutena stood from the stump. "You should be well enough to come to my garden later this afternoon. Kaitlyn's just about ready to return to us. You should come and see her."

Pit grinned widely. "Yeah, like I would miss it!"

* * *

><p>Walking down the streets of Angel Land, Pit could see just how much progress had been made. Everything once dead had either been replaced or now grew in full bloom. Grime and soot was washed from walls, as well as an excess of red paint, which Pit had learned was a gift to Medusa from his big sister. Even the cobblestone paths and roads were being scrubbed until they shone. Pit almost didn't want to walk on the ground for fear of dirtying the streets again, but he really wasn't in the mood for and didn't have the strength to fly all the way to the temple.<p>

But mostly, Pit couldn't help but think about Kaitlyn. For three days, she and Palutena had been mixing and matching spells, trying to find one that would allow Kaitlyn to grow wings. And when they had, Kaitlyn was confined to one of the empty houses in Angel Land while her new limbs grew in. The process, according to Palutena, was painful and tedious, but hopefully Kaitlyn would be satisfied in the end.

Pit picked up his speed, wincing every once in a while. The problem with his receiving all the feeling back in his nerves was that he could start to feel all that pain that he had been unable to feel earlier. Every scratch felt like a burn etched into his skin.

Pit felt his breath catch in his throat as he turned onto the garden pathway. A smile curled on his lips as he gazed around him. Colors burst everywhere in his vision. The flowers that Medusa had left for dead in Palutena's garden now exploded with life. They shone with health, petals colored some of the brightest shades Pit had ever laid eyes on. He walked over to the stone retaining wall, gently cupping a chrysanthemum in his palm. He smiled softly as he received a soft hum in reply.

Pit continued along the pathway, gazing around in happiness. Everything was so alive, it was as though the darkness had never come. Everything was so bright and cheerful. Pit raised his chin, feeling the sun warm his cheeks. He was glad his face was one of the first parts of his body to recover feeling in it. He rather liked to have control over his expressions.

Pit slowly walked into the garden, only to duck behind a bush at first sight of the goddess. Well, not necessarily at her, but from who she was with.

The green haired woman gently pulled a long white cloth from the fountain, wrapping it around the angel's arm. "Your arms are healing well."

"As is my rib," came Kuro's reply as he fingered his abdomen, "though my nerves are still a little jumpy."

Palutena shrugged. "It is to be expected. You'll need a little more time to heal before you leave."

Pit sucked in his breath sharply. _Before he…what…?_

Kuro nodded, holding up his arm and inspecting the bandage. He reached onto his right arm, slowly dragging the thick gold band from his upper arm. He held it out to the goddess. "This is yours. Thank you for allowing me to borrow it."

Palutena gently curled Kuro's fingers back over the gold. Her smile was warm and small, as though she were surprised in herself for doing this. "Keep it. Let it be a reminder to you that no matter where you are, there is always someone who loves you."

Even from his distant position, Pit could see the skin on Kuro's cheeks flush slightly as he returned the band to his arm. The dark haired angel dipped his head. "I thank you, Lady—."

Palutena placed a finger on Kuro's lips before he could finish. "That's 'Palutena' to you, Kuro."

The dark angel's cheeks flushed an even deeper red. Pit snickered quietly from behind his bush. The scratches on his arms from the pointed branches were _so_ worth this.

"Oh," Kuro said slowly, as though just dawning on something, "I thought you might want this." He reached into his toga, pulling out a thick golden circlet. The gold curved and flowed delicately, leading to the center, where the gold split and a large ruby hung from a golden chain between the two pieces: Palutena's crown, though where Kuro had hid it, Pit didn't know. But then again, Kuro had always been better at magic than Pit.

"I found it on the floor of the temple when I last visited," Kuro said, "It seemed that no one remembered to get it. I transformed it back from the lava circle."

Palutena gazed at the circlet with sparkling eyes. She gently took it from Kuro's outstretched palms and fitted it neatly on her head. "Oh, Kuro, it's perfect! Thank you!"

Kuro dipped his head, flushing again. Pit smirked. He was enjoying this way too much!

Palutena turned around, her eyes locking directly onto the bush Pit hid behind. "And Pit, you know that eavesdropping is rather rude, correct?"

Now it was Pit's turn to flush. He slowly stood up from behind the bush, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He hadn't _really_ meant to eavesdrop…it was more that he hadn't wanted to interrupt Kuro and Palutena's conversation. But then again, he also didn't want to make it awkward by just standing there and waiting. So jumping into a bush, of course, seemed like the best option. Nevertheless, Pit dipped his head sheepishly. "Forgive my immaturity, Palutena."

The goddess stood up from her seat on the wall of the fountain, stepping over to Pit, her eyes gleaming and mouth in a smile. She gently took Pit's hand in her warm, slender fingers. With her other, she gently brushed back a spare piece of hair that had loosened from behind this laurel wreath and fell into his eyes. "Pit, I haven't had the chance to really tell you how proud I am of you."

Pit shrugged, his lips turning in a quirky smile. "Yeah, well…four months is a long time to be away from home."

"You've grown up so much, and not just in your appearance," she said, a finger drawing underneath his defined jaw line. Pit had noticed in the mirror of the sick house he had been staying in just how much he had grown physically. His muscles were more distinct against his arms and chest, powerful even, as well as his facial structure. He had thinned out further than before. Jenny had explained it as growth spurt, common for teenagers. But Pit still found it rather satisfying. Thankfully, Palutena had been able to replace his too small shirt, shorts, and toga with a new one, therefore relieving him from wearing his human clothes. But despite his new, proper clothing, Pit still kept his nylon jacket, t-shirt, jeans, and Nikes neatly folded in the corner of his room. "Even your personality had grown. You have so much more authority and confidence."

Pit smiled. "Well it would have sucked if I hadn't changed after a huge experience like that!"

Palutena laughed, the laugh that made Pit think of bells, flowers, and sunshine. Pit felt his spirit rise even higher, if that were possible. He was already so happy and cheerful that it seemed almost impossible that he could be happier.

"Kaitlyn is waiting for me," Palutena said smoothly, drawing away, "Pit, wait here with Kuro. Kaitlyn wants to see both of you." And with that, she disappeared.

Kuro snorted slightly. "It still creeps me out when she does that."

Pit blinked. "How does she move that fast?"

Kuro shrugged. "For someone who's over a thousand years old, she amazingly nimble. I guess some mysteries will just have to remain unsolved."

"Yeah," Pit said, turning to Kuro, who still remained seated on the edge of the fountain, "like why you're leaving Angel Land."

Kuro sighed, brushing back his hair with his right arm, the thick golden band on his upper arm gleaming in the sunlight. "You heard that?"

"Every word."

Kuro's shoulders rose and fell as he stretched them out. "I thought we talked about this, Pit, back at Jenny's place. I'm leaving so I don't start any more wars."

Immediately, Pit was on the defensive. "Come on, Kuro! Even _you_ can't blame yourself for this war."

"I can, and I am," he replied, "I was the one who volunteered to help Medusa take down Palutena." He broke off and looked to the place that Palutena had disappeared from. "Though to tell you the truth, I can't figure out why I wanted to in the first place."

Pit followed Kuro's gaze, grinning. "Ohhhhh…so you like her?"

Kuro's face pulled into a snarl. "Whatever, you idiot."

Pit laughed. "You have it sooooooo bad, man! HA!"

Kuro's face, despite his best efforts to conceal it, flushed a bright cherry red. "You don't know what you're talking about, you jerk!"

"Kuro and Palutena, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" Pit crooned, whistling and cat calling. Kuro's face if possible, went even redder, though Pit wasn't sure if whether from embarrassment or anger.

"You're so immature!" Kuro screeched, leaping from his seat and tackling Pit. Pit laughed, flashing a cheeky grin at his friend as they rolled on the ground, scuffling and moaning. While Kuro may have been absolutely serious, Pit was still just having fun. He hadn't had this much fun in ages!

"You know what?!" Kuro yelled, jumping to his feet. He grabbed Pit by the scarf and dragged him over to the fountain, throwing him into the cold, flowing water.

Pit surfaced sputtering with laughter. "This is so much fun!"

Kuro snarled angrily. "Whatever, you jerk!" And so returned the fight.

"What's going on here?"

Pit and Kuro immediately leaped to attention, Pit creating puddles around him and Kuro red and heaving in breath. Palutena stood before them, face stern and yet almost laughing. Next to her, looking as beautiful as ever, was Kaitlyn, her own green eyes flashing.

The Skyworld seemed to be taking an effect on Kaitlyn: her golden hair was curled perfectly, and her both her skin and hair almost glowed with health. She now wore a toga like the other angels, her curved body filling out the fabric beautifully. Instead of a brown leather belt or a black and gold one like Kuro's, around her waist she wore a thick golden braid. On her feet was a pair of the boot-sandals that almost every angel wore. Pit couldn't help but stare. She looked absolutely amazing.

"What are you two arguing about now?"

Kuro brushed back his hair, calming himself down slightly. "Nothing, Palutena." He glared at Pit with an expression that said, "_say one word and you pay._"

Pit rolled his eyes. He may be immature but he wasn't _that_ dense. There was a difference between playful teasing and actually being cruel. Pit had never gone that far. Kuro was a sensitive individual, even if he never showed it, and Pit knew that. Kuro had a thing for Palutena, but Pit understood that as well: he had once felt the same. But after being on earth and meeting Kaitlyn, the soothing smell of the goddess' hair no longer made him blush, the touch of her fingers against his didn't send shivers up his spine as they once did. Those reactions seemed to have moved to Kuro. Pit had seen the way Kuro reacted around Palutena's gentle teasing, playful banter, and smart remarks. Pit had suspected it back when the two had spoken at Jenny's house. Kuro had spoken so warmly about the goddess. Pit couldn't help but smile.

Pit instead smiled at Kaitlyn, waving. "Heya, Kaitlyn! How are—."

He was cut off as he received a stinging blow in the cheek. He winced, breathing in sharply. He rubbed his face, staring in shock at the angry female in front of him.

"You idiot!" Kaitlyn's eyes blazed, "What's your problem?! Going after Medusa _alone_?! Were you _born_ stupid?! What's your issue?!"

"I-i-uh…um…" Pit stuttered at the sudden outburst. He was genuinely surprised at Kaitlyn's angry reaction. It was true that he hadn't seen her since he left her during the battle. Palutena had given him the news on her after he had awoken, but since then, she had been working with Palutena on her wings.

Kaitlyn's shoulders slumped in defeat, her head dipping slightly. "I just…Pit…what would I do if you…if you had died?"

Pit let out a half laugh, his cheeks flushing. He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, um…do I really have to—."

Pit could no longer speak, not without breaking the embrace.

He blinked in shock, his heart beating faster than ever. He stared down at the girl in his arms, her face so close, lips meeting his. It was as though the feeling in all his limbs had returned: his fingers tingled, everything around him suddenly coming out of focus. A total sense of something that Pit could only describe as bliss overcame him, washing him over like the waves of the ocean. He felt his arms slowly wrap around Kaitlyn, as though cradling her. Her body curved neatly into his, her arms around his neck, brushing against the back of his hair. Pit lost his focus on the world around him as his eyes shut, indulging himself fully to the matter in front of him.

Kaitlyn in the end was the one who broke off the kiss. Her face was half happy, half shocked, as though she couldn't believe what she had just done. Pit felt the exact same way: giddy with delight and surprised at himself. What had possessed him…?

"Oh," Kuro commented lightly from his position nearby, arms crossed and face smug, "who was it you were saying had it "so bad"?"

Pit and Kaitlyn both flushed probably the brightest red their cheeks could manage. They gave embarrassed laughs, looking at one another and at the two observers, who stood nearby. Kuro looked perfectly at ease, his expression one that obviously said, "told-you-so". Palutena had simply raised an eyebrow, the way Jenny would when she caught Pit doing something he shouldn't have been. It said, "you-had-better-not-be-naughty".

Pit suddenly became aware of his senses. His fingers, still around Kaitlyn, brushed against something soft. He flinched slightly, then smiled. "Kaitlyn…your wings…"

Kaitlyn drew away from him, her face breaking into a full smile. She turned her head, gazing at her back. Slowly, a pair of large shaped figures flared out from behind her. The blue and grey feathers flashed with clear oil in the sunlight. Pit gazed in awe. His own wings were a pure white, streaked with silver highlights. But Kaitlyn's were much more flamboyant. The largest feathers on the edges of her wings were a pale blue, almost matching the color of the sky and were streaked with dark silvers. The more downy secondary feathers were a grey and white mix, beautiful and soft. The smallest were dark silver, speckled with white. Pit raised a hand, gently feeling the soft, smooth feathers.

"They're beautiful," he breathed. He had seen a lot of gorgeous wings, for angel's wings were about as diverse as angels themselves, Shadow Angels not included: their wings were all dark. But Kaitlyn's wings were such a nice blend of blues and grays, Pit found them sleek yet elegant.

Kaitlyn flushed slightly, clasping her hands together. Her wings curled down in delight, feathers fluffing ever so gently in the wind. "I'm still a little rusty with them. I can barely fly."

Pit shrugged with a smile. "Hey, I'll help you. If anyone knows about learning to fly, it's me!"

Kaitlyn's hug was warm, her feathers tickling his cheeks. Pit smiled. It was like a whole new beginning: a new angel to help, a new home to look forward to, and a whole new way of looking at things.

* * *

><p>Pit gazed around him, his eyes flickering around the buildings. Everywhere angels cleaned up streets, scrubbing down cobblestones, planting new shrubs or healing sickly ones, and clearing away dead leaves. He looked out between two houses slightly set apart, looking sadly at the large field set there. A few angels carted away dead bodies, flying off with them in order to find a place for a proper burial. He blinked particularly at one angel, the female doing most of the pointing and directing: Kestrel. She wasn't very easy to distinguish from so far away, but Pit had always been able to tell his big sister.<p>

"Hey Pit."

"Oh, hey Nighthawk." Pit turned to his friend. It was good to see Nighthawk's calm, smiling face. Pit had been through so much over the past few days, only some of them really happy. Seeing Kaitlyn was probably at the top of his list, but many of the situations surrounding him only dampened his mood, such as all the dead bodies that needed to be buried. Pit had never seen so few angels in Angel Land before. There were still relatively many, but he felt the lack of crowding now. It was less like Chicago and Santa Barbara and more like the beach at night: calm, but sad.

"Where are you going with that thing?" Nighthawk motioned to the bag in Pit's hands, leaning on the rake in his hands.

Pit lifted the backpack higher. He almost wanted to put it on his back and relive his school days down on earth, but that only made his chest tighten in regret. He missed Jenny and Mark and Ryan. Putting on his backpack would only bring up memories, ones he wasn't ready to work his way through. Right now, he had a job to do, and that wasn't necessarily bad. In fact, it was good to get his mind off of things. He needed the work.

"I'm just putting this in my room, then I'll report back to Palutena for work."

Nighthawk raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Pit smiled. "A backpack, but that's not really important right now. I'll tell you about them later."

Nighthawk let out a huff. "There's a _lot_ you have to tell me about!"

Pit looked around again, spinning in a circle. "The Skyworld's looking great, by the way!"

"Angel Land, yes," Nighthawk said, shaking his head, "Skyworld, no. We have tons more work to do."

Pit raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He had thought that the work was coming along so well. What needed to change?

Nighthawk raised his head, glancing around. His eyes were dark and almost moody. "Medusa's reign covered all of the Skyworld. The other areas will be cleaning as well."

"How big _is_ the Skyworld?"

Nighthawk's gaze met Pit's. "How big is your 'Earth'?"

Pit swallowed. He had known that the Skyworld was big, but… "What are the angels like out there?"

Nighthawk shrugged. "There are places for just about every angel you could possibly think of. Angel Land is specifically for angels in training, young ones. There's a whole island just for adult angels."

Pit blinked in surprise. "There are adult angels?"

"What do you think?" Nighthawk said with a smirk, "that angels are teenagers forever? Sure angels grow up! Palutena creates the angels, but that doesn't mean they're young forever. They have to grow up sometime."

Pit smiled, his quick, racing mind already imaging the adult Angel Land. It would have to be big, and that would mean lots of little islands. His smile widened to a grin. "I want to go there! Nighthawk, you should come to! And we could bring Kaitlyn! And—."

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Nighthawk said with a laugh, "but we have some serious work to get done first."

Pit snorted. "Well, duh! I knew that!"

Nighthawk laughed, looking Pit up and down with a small smile. "You know, we really missed you, Pit."

"And I really missed you, too," Pit said slowly, flashing his friend one of his largest grins before taking off to the skies.

"As soon as you have time," Nighthawk called to the airborne Pit, "you're going to tell me exactly what happened to you, okay?"

"'K!" Pit said with a laugh before turning back and flying off.

To Pit, everything was wonderful. The air that buffeted his wings was warm and comforting. It streaked through his hair with a certain feeling in it, one that made Pit feel as though he were curled up in his bed back at Jenny's house, the one with the thick blankets and warm, soft blankets. The wind played with his shaggy brown locks, twirling itself against his skin a ticklish way. The smells in the air were also comforting, such as the one of fallen leaves. He knew that he should probably be worried about that one, seeing as it meant that the many of the trees had prepared for winter prematurely, as winter was always late in Angel Land, that is if it came at all. But all Pit could think of was the pile of leaves in the front of Jenny's house, the one he would jump into every time he walked out the door. He shoved the memory from his mind hurriedly, knowing the thought would only make him nostalgic.

Pit landed directly in front of his house. The small, marble building never looked more comforting. Oh, how he had missed his little house! He rubbed a hand gently against a marble pillar, smiling softly. It was beautiful.

Slowly Pit opened the wooden door, stepping into the room. Immediately, his eyes widened as he gazed around the all marble room. Had he really left his room in such a mess? Toss pillows and clothes were strewn across the floor and his bed was unmade. He dropped the backpack on the floor and immediately began picking up his clothes. He remembered now: the last time he had been in this room, Nighthawk had woken him up because he was late. He had rushed out the door without a glance at his room. But then again, back then he probably wouldn't have even minded. Now the only thing Pit could think of was the fact that Jenny would be so disappointed if she ever saw this room in its current condition.

As Pit hung up his last set of clothes, he looked around his room with critique. It was so bland, being all white and silver. He would need some flowers, maybe some paint, and he'd have to ask Palutena where to find some wooden furniture and maybe a couch. He suddenly longed for the colorful room back in Chicago. How strange it seemed at first to him, all the colors and odd sheeting! But now he found himself suddenly yearning for the comforts of shading and tints. Where was the excitement in all white?

Pit walked back over to his door and grabbed his backpack. The strap slipped from his grip and the backpack fell to the ground, spilling open. Everything inside shot around the floor.

Pit winced. He had been forcing himself from the tree to his house not to look inside the bag, for fear it would just make him unhappy. But now he had very little choice in the matter.

Pit slowly began to pick up the belongings. Jenny had packed him around four large jars of Nutella, which Pit's mouth immediately began salivating over. He uncapped one of the tubs, sticking his finger in and immediately sticking it back in his mouth. Flavor exploded over his tongue as the memories burst into his mind: the first time he met Jenny, his broken arm, just about every morning at breakfast time, snack after a hard day at school…every time he had ever eaten a spoonful of the wonderful brown paste. His shoulders relaxed, letting the comfort overtake him. _It wouldn't hurt to just _look _at the other things_…

Pit glanced around, picking up the different objects. Jenny had packed him a few loose pieces of clothing, the ones that Pit had worn most often besides his nylon jacket, jeans, and Nikes which he had sent for to be moved from his sick room to his actual home. A small rectangle came next. Pit picked it up and smiled, reading the Greek on the front and instantly translating it: Greek to English Dictionary.

Pit smiled and set it back in the backpack, looking for the last few objects.

He found them under a chair.

Pit stopped short as he dragged himself out from under the chair, sitting up and holding the object in his palm, as it was small enough to do so.

His cell phone.

Pit blinked and slowly flipped open the phone, which flashed to life. He blinked in shock at the bar level in the corner. _Five bars?! In Angel Land?!_

Pit slowly picked up the piece of notebook paper folded neatly against the keyboard. He set down the phone and unfolded the paper with trembling fingers. It was a regular piece of notebook paper, black pen scrawled on it with the simple slanted handwriting Jenny always wrote in. Pit could just make out the words from the little amount of practice he had had on earth.

_**Just in case you forget!—Jenny**_

Pit's hand trembled as he held up the paper, a phone number written neatly upon it. Of course, he didn't need the paper; he had memorized Jenny's phone number ever since he had gotten a phone.

Pit could feel the tears streaming down his face as memory after memory played through his head. He brushed them away, taking in a sharp breath. He glanced down at the phone. Would…would it really work here…?

Pit picked up the phone, punching in the numbers slowly so as not to make a mistake. He hurriedly held the phone to his hear, hand shaking as it played through ring after ring. Pit bit his lower lip, waiting.

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

"Hello?" came a weary but smiling voice at the other end of the line, "This is Jenny speaking."

Pit wasn't sure whether to cry out or scream. He felt new tears streak down his face. He let out a half sob. He wasn't sure when he had ever been so glad to hear the voice that played in front of him. He breathed hard, finally able to get one choking word out of his throat.

"Mom?"

* * *

><p><strong>And there we have it: my first completed story. This chapter title, Finis Originis, means "The End of the Beginning" in Latin. This is because eventually, I will have a sequel for this, but for now, the characters are taking a well earned vacation.<strong>

**This goes out to everyone who read my story even if you didn't review, and to all the reviewers who kept my writing going. Thank you little sister for all your bugging and encouragement and brainstorming ideas. Thank you firstoffive, who kept me on my toes at school and who never failed to ask me if I had written...every morning! **

**And to Dragonguy54321, my faithful Beta reader and probably one of the most patient people out there. You Beater you! (Sorry, SAO reference there!).**

**You all made this possible. You guys kept me going and made this story the best it could possibly be. **

**Because this is the last chapter, I want you all to tell me how you thought the entire story as a whole went, as well as just for this chapter. I'm so glad to be writing for FF. For my first ever story, you guys blew me out of the park! Thank you for putting up with my long periods of procrastination/ writer's block. Thank you for keeping up with my story, even when it was slow. And thank you for all your reviews and PMs. **

**I'm so excited to write my next story! I'm going to be on a month long Hiatus, but as soon as December hits, be prepared all you Yu-Gi-Oh! lovers, because soon, it'll be time to DUEL! (*sister screams/ squeals in the background in delight*) SHUSH, ASUKA!**

**(*sobs silents*) The story is finally over...it's...wow...I can't believe it, I really can't! When I finished writing this, I went and made myself a congratulatory cup of tea...just before starting my next story. **

**As always, **

**The best to you all,**

**~Pixeljam **


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